ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The teenager charged with the murder of his 13-year-old classmate Tristyn Bailey will be in court Tuesday. Aiden Fucci’s attorneys have filed two motions ahead of his February trial.
Fucci’s attorneys want two things done: for their client to be moved to a new jail or a less restrictive setting and for his trial to not take place here in St. Johns County.
Fucci is currently in Duval County Jail. The motion filed by Fucci's attorney says he has been held in solitary confinement for much of his time at the jail. The motion calls solitary "a form of cruel and unusual punishment," which "will result in psychological harm."
The attorneys also claim he has been enduring "ongoing torture" while in jail. Fucci, who's charged as an adult in the stabbing death of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey, is being held in solitary due to “threats of violence against [him] in May 2022; and previously for a disciplinary action in January 2022, and suicidal ideations in 2021."
Dr. Tracy Alloway is a psychology professor with UNF and is unaffiliated with the case. She says humans are designed to connect with others.
"Chronic stress such as that experience in solitary confinement can impact the grey matter of our brain and the grey matter is a crucial part for our decision making and forming healthy positive decisions in the future," Alloway said.
The motion claims he is in a cell alone for 24 hours a day and has been there for over 400 days.
The other motion the judge will review on December 13th is the change of venue request to move the trial outside of St. Johns County. Fucci's lawyers submitted hundreds of pages of news articles, clips and videos centered around the reporting of his alleged crime.
They argue he cannot get a fair trial to due publicity and hostility.
The hearing begins at 9 a.m.
