There’s been a major shake-up in the Danny Mason murder trial; today, his attorney threw in the towel. 

Things started to go off the tracks yesterday morning when, minutes before the case was supposed to resume, the authorities cleared the courtroom so that the judge and the attorneys from both sides could address an urgent matter. 

Shortly after that, rumors began spreading that Mason and his alleged accomplices were attempting to fire Herbert Panton as their defense attorney. We attempted to confirm these reports, but everyone close to the case was tight-lipped. 

Whatever the issue was, it caused the trial to be adjourned until this morning at 9:00 when the 5 accused were taken back to court. The attorneys for both sides presented themselves for another private discussion before the judge, and about an hour or so later, Panton exited to announce that he is no longer representing Mason and company. 

He told us that the reports that he had been terminated were false, and that this parting of ways between himself and the accused was initiated by him. He briefly explained why:

Daniel Ortiz
"It was suggested that your clients were considering terminating your services. We don’t know how truthful that was."

Herbert Panton - Former Attorney for Mason Et Al
"Totally untrue - what happened yesterday is that I made an application to the court to be relieved of the defence of the 5 accused. That matter started today, and that application continued, and the judge just a while ago concluded that application process, and granted my application. So, myself and Miss Montejo are no longer representing the 5 accused. As a consequence, the matter has been adjourned to I believe sometime in the first week in April, just to give the accused enough time to find new counsel, and the trial will proceed from there."

Daniel Ortiz
"Would you care to share your reasons with us for asking to be removed, sir?â€￾

Herbert Panton
"Well, I still am bound by my oath, so what I discussed with my client is not for public consumption."

Reporter
"There are concerns that this might lead to a mistrial in this case. Can you-"

Herbert Panton
"Well, the judge has said that the trial will continue. She did not declare a mistrial, so, that is not even on the table at this point."

Daniel Ortiz
"Can this particular decision by yourself and Miss Montejo being missing from the trial now lead to that particular outcome?"

Herbert Panton
"Well, I can’t speak of what will happen now. I am no longer involved."

Reporter
"Sir, you’re making it absolutely clear today that this was not a request from your clients because you were not taking their instructions."

Herbert Panton
"This was an application made by myself to the court to be relieved from defending the 5 accused."

Reporter
"So, as of today, you are no longer seeing them, no longer taking any phone calls, anything."

Herbert Panton
"That is correct."

Of note is that at the start of the trial, Richard “Dickieâ€￾ Bradley withdrew from the case as one of the attorneys representing Mason and the other 4 defendants.

The press tried to get comment from Rachel Montejo, who was recently retained as part of Mason’s legal team. Leaving court, she insisted to reporters that she could not make any comments.

The cases pauses at an important juncture: on Wednesday afternoon, Justice Antoinette Moore commenced a trial within a trial to test the validity of a confession statement. 

We’ll keep following to see how this case progresses next month.