ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The Ponte Vedra teenager accused of stabbing multiple people in the restaurant parking of Mr. Chubby's Wings pleaded not guilty Friday
18-year-old Spencer Pearson is charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery for the incident outside of Mr. Chubby’s Wings. 17-year-old Madison Schemitz remains paralyzed from her injuries.
Schemitz was not in the courtroom Friday, but her mother and the man who helped stop the attack were.
Pearson didn't have any expression on his face as he walked into the courtroom wearing a dark blue jumpsuit and shackles. The scars are still visible on his neck, where he slit his own throat after the attack.
If convicted, Pearson faces 16 years to life in prison. He’s charged with stabbing 17-year-old Madison Schemitz, injuring her mother, and a bystander in the parking lot of Mr. Chubby's Wings in June before turning the knife on himself. Surveillance video of the attack released by the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office shows Schemitz walking to the car as Pearson runs out of the restaurant and attacks, stabbing her 15 times.
Pearson's attorney Matthew Kachergus addressed two concerns in court. He says he wasn’t notified when two additional charges were filed against his client. He also objected to the release of the surveillance footage, saying it was released to local media, while the defense was never notified.
"Its troubling to see the discovery in ny case being disseminated widely in the media before I had even seen it or knew it was being disseminated. If we can play by the rules I would appreciate it," Attorney Matthew Kachergus told Judge Smith.
Judge Smith agreed the state needs to notify the defense before releasing additional materials, but said prosecutors didn’t break any laws.
"We are not prohibited from releasing this information it is exempt if they choose not to release the information that is the states right but we can choose to release this information," Prosecutor Kaitlyn Payne said. "We understand this court has the ability to want to keep a trial fair but we do not think anything we have done will keep this fair."
Criminal Defense Attorney Shannon Schott says as the case moves forward, she expects a more coordinated release of information
"I think the strategy here from the defense is that they want to put the court on notice that these things are happening so that if something much more serious happens later, they can get more footing in their legal arguments with the judge as to why sanctions should be appropriate," Criminal Defense Attorney Shannon Schott said.
Pearson is due back in court on September 28.
