A Florida public defender is facing criticism over a crass social media post celebrating her killer client avoiding the death penalty.
Beth Bourdon represented Javier Rosado Martinez, 58, while he was on trial and facing a death sentence for the murder and attempted rape of his girlfriend’s 93-year-old mother in 2022.
He was found guilty of murder and attempted sex battery, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Tuesday, WESH reported.
Bourdon took to social media to celebrate, writing in a since deleted X post, ‘Just got life verdict on a death penalty case,’ and included an image of Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu.
Her post faced immediate backlash, with users pointing out that Martinez is a convicted murderer and rapist who benefited from a reduced sentence.
Bourdon removed her original post, but doubled down on Wednesday, writing, ‘Yesterday i got a life verdict on a death penalty case. I’m very proud to have saved a life!
‘My original tweet has been deleted because it was past the time to edit it and there was a request from a dear friend to remove the gif.’
Bourdon continued to face criticism from people who felt her continued celebration was inappropriate and offensive to the victim’s family.
Beth Bourdon celebrated helping her killer client avoid the death penalty in a controversial social media post
Javier Rosado Martinez, 58, was sentenced to life without parole for murdering and attempted rape of his girlfriend’s 93-year-old mother
‘No. you deleted because the community note was showing millions of people exactly what you defended and were then gloating about, and you weren’t comfy having that attached to your name. You are scum,’ one person wrote.
‘It took a message from a friend to get you to understand what tact is,’ a second person wrote.
‘If your job is to give legal aid to absolutely monstrous inhuman criminals, you should do it with a heavy and conflicted heart. You should feel bad when you win. You definitely shouldn’t publicly gloat. Even if it’s a societal necessity, it’s nothing to be proud of,’ added another.
A fourth person wrote, ‘You posted a video of a person smiling after helping a man who killed a 93-year old woman to get out of the death penalty. You’re not just sick, you’re ecstatic to help these people get off.’
‘If only your client had the same value on a life that you do,’ a fifth person added.
A sixth person wrote, ‘I understand doing your job but celebrating this seems odd given what your client did.’
The public defender’s office told the Daily Mail that it is Bourdon’s job to help clients avoid the death penalty.
‘We empathize with the family of the deceased and are sorry for their loss. As criminal defense attorneys, we do not celebrate the death of anyone and Ms. Bourdon did not intend to offend anyone with her post,’ the spokesperson said.
‘The Constitution has charged us with representing people accused of crimes, which includes death penalty cases. It is our job to obtain a life verdict for a client in lieu of the death penalty.
Martinez was found guilty of attacking his girlfriend’s elderly mother, Dolores Padilla Marero, at her senior living facility on 2022
‘We sincerely apologize for any offense the post caused, as it was not the intent.’
Martinez was found guilty of attacking his girlfriend’s elderly mother, Dolores Padilla Marero, at her senior living facility.
Marero’s family had dropped her off at her home after celebrating her 93rd birthday, according to investigators.
Her family found her naked body in bed the next day with her torso covered by a throw blanket and her face covered with a pillow.
An autopsy determined her cause of death was strangulation and she suffered blunt force trauma to her torso.
The Daily Mail contacted Bourdon, the Florida Bar Association and the State’s Attorney’s Office for comment.
