A Florida public defender has drawn criticism for a social media post celebrating her client avoiding a death sentence. Beth Bourdon represented Javier Rosado Martinez, 58, who was on trial for the 2022 murder and attempted rape of his girlfriend's 93-year-old mother.
Martinez was found guilty of murder and attempted sex battery and sentenced to life in prison without parole on Tuesday, according to WESH. Following the verdict, Bourdon posted on X, formerly Twitter, stating, "Just got life verdict on a death penalty case," accompanied by a GIF. This post was later deleted.
Her initial post faced immediate backlash, with users pointing out that Martinez is a convicted murderer and rapist who avoided capital punishment. Critics found her celebration inappropriate and offensive to the victim's family.
Bourdon later rephrased her statement 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."
The public defender's office issued a statement to the Daily Mail, emphasizing that it is Bourdon's job to represent clients and help them avoid the death penalty. "As criminal defense attorneys, we do not celebrate the death of anyone and Ms. Bourdon did not intend to offend anyone with her post," a 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. We sincerely apologize for any offense the post caused, as it was not the intent."
Martinez was convicted of attacking his girlfriend's elderly mother, Padilla Marero, at her senior living facility. Her family discovered her body the next day. An autopsy determined her cause of death was strangulation, with blunt force trauma to her torso. März 2026