St. Johns sheriff: Murder suspect Aiden Fucci ‘does not have a right’ to pick where he is housed

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick said teen murder suspect Aiden Fucci should have no say in how he’s held in jail while awaiting trial.

Fucci, 15, is accused of killing 13-year-old classmate Tristyn Bailey in May 2021 in their Durbin Crossing neighborhood in St. Johns County.

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On Nov. 21, Action News Jax told you that Fucci’s lawyers filed a motion to remove the teen from solitary confinement. He’s currently being held in the Duval County Pre-Trial Detention Center.

Right now, he’s being held in solitary confinement because the St. Johns County Jail has no juvenile cells.

In a legal response filed Wednesday, lawyers for Hardwick said Fucci’s rights were lost once he was indicted, adding that those decisions are made by a sheriff based on security, not by an inmate.

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“The defendant does not have a right to be classified and housed in a facility of his choice. Those rights were lost when he was indicted by a Grand Jury in St. Johns County for First Degree Murder,” the motion read.

Read the full motion below:

Fucci’s trial was originally scheduled to begin this month. It was pushed to February because his defense attorney said she needed more time to gather witness testimonies.

Fucci’s next hearing is set for on Dec. 2, and during that hearing, the judge could decide what date Fucci’s trial will begin.

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