Senior airman accused of shooting, killing man outside SoHo bar back in Tampa courtroom
TAMPA, Fla. - A senior airman at MacDill Air Force Base accused of shooting and killing a man outside a bar on South Howard Avenue was back in a Tampa courtroom Monday.
Investigators said Jarred White got into an argument with the man inside the bar, and the confrontation continued to escalate outside back in July 2022. They said White pulled out a gun and shot the victim to death.
He was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
Pictured: Jarred White in a Tampa courtroom Monday.
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As his case inches closer to trial, his legal team is now challenging what they call an "unfair fee" for a deposition imposed by a state expert witness. The witness is Dr. Ashley Perkins, Hillsborough County‘s medical examiner, who is charging $585, for an hour of her time.
During a hearing in mid-July, the defense asked the court to have the fee lowered or waived altogether. They argued a state expert, paid by county tax dollars, should not be charging a defendant, in a criminal case, a fee to be deposed.
While medical examiners do charge a fee in civil litigations for their expert testimony, Tampa Judge Samantha Ward was also puzzled by the payment.
Pictured: Scene of deadly shooting on South Howard Avenue in Tampa back in July 2022.
"I’ve never seen this issue before. I have talked to my colleagues, they have never seen this issue, and I’ve talked to our legal counsel, and they’ve never seen this issue," explain Judge Ward.
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During a hearing, the court asked the county's attorney for more clarification on the state statute regarding this fee.
Later, in a written motion filed by a county attorney they provided a Florida rule for the fee and decided to waive the payment for this case. At the hearing Monday morning, the court recognized the issue was now moot and the defense had been handed one small victory in court.
White is expected back in court in September for a stand your ground hearing.