JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- On the second day of Cristian Fernandez's suppression hearing, Judge Mallory Cooper cleared the courtroom once again, as new video evidence was introduced.
On Thursday, the public hearing was closed to the media while arguments were made to throw out statements Fernandez made that could potentially risk his right to a fair trial. On Friday, the courtroom was again closed as video of the interrogation by Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Detective Lisa Perez was shown.
Fernandez is accused of murdering his little brother as well as sexually abusing another child.
On Friday, Detective Lisa Perez of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Sex Crimes Division was called to the stand to talk about her interrogation of then 12-year-old Fernandez on June 23, 2011. At that time, Fernandez was being held in the Duval County Jail on murder charges, but in the video, Perez tells Fernandez she's not there to talk about that.
In the first five minutes of the video, Fernandez is seen sitting quietly and looking around the interrogation room before Perez reads him his rights.
"I'm going to read you your rights OK? Because you have the right to talk to me or not talk to me," Perez told the boy and he responded, "OK."
She then asks him if he understands English and Spanish, before asking him to read the top line of the rights paperwork which he does.
Judge Mallory stopped the video after eight minutes and cleared the courtroom while the additional 54 minuets of the video was played.
When court resumed, questioning of Perez continued. Defense attorney's questioned Perez's tone in questioning, highlighting that she treated him differently because of his age.
"I spoke to him like a mother speaks to a child," she told the court.
The court is now in recess for lunch and will resume at 1:30.
Cristian Fernandez is set to go on trial on sexual battery charges on August 27th. His murder trial is set for September 10th.
