Martin Lee Anderson's Father Removed From Court

The father of Martin Lee Anderson was banned from the trial in the death of his 14-year-old son Wednesday.

Bay County Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet said he had warned he'd remove anyone who made noise during testimony, and after a sidebar requested by defense attorney Waylon Graham, he told four people in one row to leave and not come back.

"If you interrupt this trial during this court proceeding, I'm going to remove you," Overstreet said.

Of the four removed, one was Robert Anderson, Martin Lee Anderson's father.

"We hadn't said nothing," said Robert Anderson, in the parking lot of the boot camp where his son was the day before he died. "That's why I didn't want the trial in Bay County."

The Panama City teen died Jan. 6, the day after drill instructors at the camp punched, kneed and dragged him around the boot camp. Seven drill instructors and a camp nurse are charged with felony aggravated manslaughter of a child and face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

The courtroom is mostly segregated by race and victim's or defendants' family. Five of the defendants are white, two are black and one is Asian. Anderson was black.

Last week during the testimony of Hillsborough County medical examiner Dr. Vernard Adams, who said Anderson died because drill instructors suffocated him, defendants' family and supporters let out a gasp, to which Overstreet gave a warning, but no one was removed.

On Tuesday Graham, attorney for former drill instructor Charles Helms Jr., told defendants' family and friends to wait for the other side to leave during a recess so there won't be any problems.

Graham said he had heard people on the side where the jury sits, and who mostly have ties to the victim, making noise during some testimony. Today he put someone to sit on that side and listen for noise.

During the testimony of former drill instructor Henry McFadden Jr., Graham interrupted and asked Overstreet for a sidebar with the attorneys after he had received a note.

"We've heard it for several days," said Graham, after an interview with Court TV. "We had people sitting there listening for it. . . .The problem is they're sitting next to the jury."

Asked if he was disturbed that Anderson's father was banned from the trial, Graham said, "I'm sorry about that, but you have to keep quiet in a trial."

Supporters of Robert Anderson said they were quiet before they were asked to leave and the reason was deeper than just making noise.

"The testimony was not in their favor so they needed a distraction," said Gerald Bryant, cousin of Robert Anderson. "It's called growing up black in Bay County."