TAVARES, Fla. — A new trial date has been set for suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez, who is accused of running an illegal gambling enterprise with his co-defendants.
The trial is now scheduled for Nov. 10.
Lopez’s defense team is considering the jury pool for the trial, as he won over 57% of the vote in Osceola County in the last election.
WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer noted that the defense is weighing their potential jury pool, which will ultimately decide the case.
“He has a fan base there, he was voted into office, and that his best chance for acquittal might be among his people or what he perceives to be his people,” Sheaffer said.
Jessica Travis, partner at Fighter Law, commented on Lopez’s notoriety in Osceola County, saying jurors there might look at him more favorably than those in Lake County.
Lopez’s alleged crimes occurred in both Lake and Osceola counties, giving his defense team the option to choose where the trial will take place.
The request to move the case back to Osceola County has surprised many, as it is unusual for a defendant to move a case back into a jurisdiction where it has received significant notoriety.
“This is the first time in 40 years I’ve seen a defendant actually move the case back into the jurisdiction where it’s received such notoriety as it has in Osceola County,” Sheaffer said.
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