Palm Beach County Assistant Public Defender Elizabeth Ramsey was charged with contempt of court for violating Circuit Judge Jack Schramm Cox's order to not publish or disclose transcripts from phone calls made by a jailhouse informant.
ABA Journal reported that on Tuesday, Ramsey appeared in court for the preliminary hearing on her case. Cox's order in November 30 prohibits the disclosure of transcripts of recorded telephone calls made by convicted murderer and jailhouse informant Frederick Cobia. Cox's decision came from the assertion of Cobia's attorney that the convict's privacy would be violated.
The transcripts from the phone call were published in the Palm Beach Post in October. Cox ordered The Post to take down portions of the article that contained the transcripts. However, according to the latest report from the Palm Beach Post, Florida's 4th District Court of Appeal dismissed this decision on Tuesday, calling the order "overboard."
Meanwhile, Sun Sentinel reported that the charges filed against Ramsey is punishable by up to almost six months in Palm Beach County Jail. Cox allowed Ramsey to remain free, but is ordered her to appear in court Tuesday for the preliminary hearing.
Cobia was supposed to be a star witness in the trial of Jamal Smith, which was charged of first-degree murder for shooting a man dead in 2011. Smith is Ramsey's client. Cobia has testified for two other murder cases, and will testify in three more. He is also listed to be the witness for 23 other trials in just a period of two and a half years.
The transcripts that were obtained through Cobia's phone calls show that he has received special treatment to testify against the various defendants mentioned above. Cobia's attorney Valerie Masters was the one who asked for the charges filed against Ramsey. However, Donnie Murrell, who is Ramsey's lawyer, said the contempt charge against the public defendant would last a ruling that would overturn the judge's order.
