The agent is expected to testify Thursday afternoon about what possible attorney-client privileged messages she saw during the investigation.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Shanna Gardner and her defense team will be back in Duval County court Thursday afternoon. She and her second husband, Mario Fernandez-Saldana, are accused of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of her ex-husband, Jared Bridegan.
In the hearing, the court is expected to hear testimony from an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) who may have seen attorney-client privileged materials during the investigation.
Gardner’s defense team says the agent had access to over 800,000 text messages Gardner sent from 2016-2022, so they are seeking information about what specific message or messages she read.
This is leading up to hearings next week for both Gardner and Fernandez on their motions to disqualify the State Attorney’s Office Fourth Judicial Circuit from the case over allegations of mishandling attorney-client privileged materials.
Bridegan was murdered in February 2022 after dropping off his twins at Gardner’s Jacksonville Beach home. Investigators say it was a “murder-for-hire” plot and when Bridegan stopped to move a tire that was placed in the road, he was shot multiple times. His two-year-old daughter from his second marriage was in the car at the time, but was unharmed.
Gardner and Fernandez have both plead not guilty.
First Coast News will have a crew at the courthouse and will be streaming the hearing at 1 p.m.
*Editor’s note: Bookmark this page to visit back when the hearing starts, as the livestream will be in this story.*
