Judge Weighs Key Pretrial Battles | Jacksonville News

A judge is weighing two major pretrial hurdles in the Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez Saldana murder case: whether an informant can testify while invoking his Fifth Amendment rights—and if so, on what specific questions—and whether the defense can access private communications from Jared Bridegan’s widow. The prosecution wants to use the informant’s testimony, but the defense argues it could cripple their ability to cross-examine him fairly. Meanwhile, the defense seeks messages between Kirsten Bridegan and investigators, claiming they’re vital to assess witness bias, though prosecutors warn the request is too broad. The judge is asking both sides to narrow their arguments before making rulings, with decisions expected at the next hearing Thursday. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/5242f5b58589f756