MIAMI — A Miami-Dade judge won’t restrict the release of evidence in the murder case against OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney.
Circuit Judge Diana Vizcaino on Tuesday rejected her defense attorneys’ request to prevent the release of evidence that is normally public record under Florida law.
Clenney, who made her first live appearance in Miami-Dade court on Tuesday since her arrest last month, is accused of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors say she fatally stabbed Christian “Toby” Obumseli on April 3 during a heated argument inside their luxury Edgewater apartment.
She is claiming self-defense. The Miami-Dade state attorney’s office says she was the aggressor and had a history of attacking Obumseli during their stormy relationship.
The move to restrict evidence was opposed by the Miami Herald, as well as the state attorney’s office.
“The law requires evidence that access to these public records will deprive the defendant of a fair and impartial trial," Herald attorney Scott Ponce said after the hearing. “The judge ruled there is no such evidence. In a county of 2.7 million people, it’s hard to show that a fair and impartial jury cannot be selected.”
Defense attorneys Frank Prieto and Sabrina Puglisi had asked the judge to limit the release of prosecution evidence in the case, saying it would unfairly taint a future jury. They wanted the judge to review all of the evidence before allowing for its release. In Florida, much of the prosecution evidence is generally public record, except for certain items such as autopsy photos or confessions.
They’ve also signaled they are worried that “adult” photos and videos — OnlyFans is known for creators posting explicit content — might be part of the state’s file. Prieto, during Tuesday’s hearing, said release of graphic media obtained by investigators would make a “circus of media outlets publishing salacious material that has nothing to do with guilt or innocence in this case.”
He also accused the Herald of wanting evidence in the case merely to boost readership.
“That’s the motivation here for the Miami Herald to intervene,” Prieto said. “They need clicks.”
Prieto had also ripped State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, in announcing the arrest, for releasing a video showing Clenney attacking Obumseli in an elevator weeks before the killing. He claimed prosecutors “mobilized the media and used them as a tool” and the elevator incident was misleading.
Prosecutor Khalil Quinan fired back, saying Prieto’s frequent statements to the press have been an attempt to control the narrative, including revealing that Clenney had been arrested in Hawaii while in rehab.
“It was Mr. Prieto who informed the press — and the state — of Ms. Clenney’s arrest,” Quinan said. “He was the entity who made it known.”
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