Judge pondering courtroom closure in UM football player murder case

Crime admin July 20, 2026 0 Comments

Judge pondering courtroom closure in UM football player murder case

After a judge said she was inclined to close off the courtroom for proceedings in the murder case of UM football player Bryan Pata, media organizations will be allowed to intervene in the case to ensure the proceedings remain open to the public.

Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Cristina Miranda on Monday granted the news media’s motion to intervene, which allows the media to contest any potential limitations on public access to the case.

During a hearing in June, Miranda told the prosecution and defense she was considering closing pretrial proceedings and entering a gag order, which would bar attorneys and witnesses from publicly discussing the case of Rashaun Jones. Jones, now 40, is accused in the killing of his teammate Pata, a 22-year-old Hurricanes star defensive lineman who was expected to be a drafted into the NFL.

The Miami Herald, NBC6 and ESPN jointly opposed the potential measures. Attorney Daniela Abratt-Cohen, who is representing the media organizations, said in a filing that the measures would be “slamming shut the doors of a public courtroom and presumably preventing the parties involved from disseminating any information related to this case.”

Abratt-Cohen will present further arguments at a hearing on July 29.

Pata was shot and killed on Nov. 7, 2006, outside his home at the Colony Apartments in Kendall. He had just returned from football practice. Jones was arrested on a second-degree murder charge in 2021, 15 years after Pata’s death.

Jones’ case ended in a mistrial in March after a six-person jury said it was deadlocked. His retrial is slated to begin in September.

The murder case has made headlines in recent months due to several twists and turns. Jones’ attorneys are attempting to have his charges dismissed, citing how lead detective Juan Segovia is being investigated by internal affairs over social-media posts made during Jones’ trial.

READ MORE: UM football star murder trial pushed back amid allegations against detective

The comments were posted during the trial — and at least once concerned the testimony of a witness — in violation of sequestration, which is supposed to shield witnesses from the proceedings. One comment said Jones was “guilty as sin.”

During Monday’s hearing, the judge said she did not believe the detective violated the rule of sequestration. The detective, she added, has the right to make public comments, and the comments didn’t influence any of the jurors.

Also in late June, Jones was arrested for allegedly possessing K-2, a cannabinoid-receptor drug, while being held at Miami-Dade’s Metro West Detention Center. The drugs were found on Jones’ shirt sleeve and waist band on March 2024, according to deputies.