LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A man jailed since last August amid accusations he helped his girlfriend murder his 9-year-old daughter is now accusing his lawyer of failing to properly defend him.
LoJuan Sessions wrote the judge in his case a letter this month, expressing concerns about the conduct of his court-appointed attorney, J. Edwin Mills.
Sessions told the judge Mills blocked his calls from the jail. When they did meet, Mills did not know what Sessions was charged with and was unable to answer his questions. He said Mills appeared to be “disoriented” and “had difficulty communicating logically.”
“I am so concerned about his state of mind and lack of interest, involvement and action in my case,” Sessions wrote, explaining Mills also hadn’t filed routine motions to help his defense until prodded by Sessions.
While it’s not unheard of for a defendant to be unhappy with a lawyer appointed to their case, Mills has run into trouble before.
In January, Mills was reprimanded by the Florida Supreme Court after three of his clients complained about his lack of organization and engagement in their cases. The Florida Bar also complained that Mills failed to properly respond to the letters they sent to him during their investigation.
The justices, in conjunction with The Bar, ordered Mills to attend Ethics School and submit to analysis of his office’s practices.
Mills did not respond to multiple requests for comment Friday.
Sessions faces life in prison if he is convicted. Sessions could appeal any conviction for lack of proper representation, which could cause the appeals court to order a second expensive trial if they agreed with his assessment.
A trial date has not been scheduled for his case. He’s due back in court for a hearing on Tuesday.
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