Who is R. Lee Smith? Florida judge earns praises following Aiden Fucci’s sentencing

Florida teen, 16-year-old Aiden Fucci was given a life sentence after he was convicted of the 2021 murder of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey. Aiden was charged with first-degree murder and the sentencing came after Bailey's family gave several statements over the past two days.

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of the murder of a minor that may not be suitable for all readers. Discretion is advised.

The case, which took place in May 2021, has drawn a lot of attention from the public due to its gruesome nature. Judge. R. Lee Smith sentenced the teen to life imprisonment.

The Judge mentioned that the crime was “heinous, atrocious, and cruel.” He added that while his court had seen several autopsy images, the ones related to this case were particularly horrific. The judge also added that the murder was premeditated.

Judge Smith received praise as well after the sentencing was done and after he recounted the gruesome details of the crime that Aiden Fucci committed.

Judge Smith felt that there was premeditation before Aiden Fucci stabbed Tristyn Bailey

St. Johns County Judge R. Lee Smith gave his verdict and convicted Aiden Fucci of first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing of Tristyn Bailey in 2021. Although Aiden currently faces a minimum of 40 years to life in prison, there is a chance of a review after he has served 25 years in jail.

Fucci's sentence came after Tristyn Bailey's family and friends gave heart-wrenching statements about her and how the murder affected them.

Smith believes there was premeditation in the case. He said that the murder was committed for no other reason apart from Fucci's "internal desire to feel what it was like to kill someone." The judge added that the teen's murder was committed in a cold, calculated and premediated manner without pretenses for moral and legal justifications.

He further spoke about how difficult it was for the court to view the autopsy photos. According to the autopsy reports, Bailey was stabbed 114 times, of which 49 seemed like defensive wounds. The judge continued to say that Tristyn had a painful and horrifying death at the hands of someone she trusted. He added:

“There was a heightened level of premeditation in this case.”

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Judge Smith said that there was no particular motive behind the fatal stabbing of Tristyn Bailey

It was revealed that Aiden Fucci had spoken to his friends about his urge to kill someone. He reportedly wanted to watch them “bleed out.” Fucci’s grandmother, Deborah Spiwak, spoke on behalf of her grandson and asked the judge not to take the teen out of their lives as she knew "there's some good in Aiden."

Judge Smith addressed Tristyn Bailey’s heartbroken family, and said,

“I would submit that this case was the most difficult and shocking that this county has dealt with. The loss which you have clearly suffered is unimaginable.”

Judge R. Lee Smith is a judge in Florida’s Seventh Circuit Court. He succeeded Judge J. David Walsh and was appointed on April 22, 2016. Smith received his bachelor's degree from Florida State University. He also served as a legislative counsel for Congressman Ander Crenshaw (R) from 2002 to 2007. Smith also received praise for his verdict.

Netizens have acknowledged how compassionate he was throughout the entire trial and during the sentencing. While giving the sentencing, Smith mentioned that the case was quite troubling, since Aiden Fucci had no actual motive behind the tragic stabbing of the young girl.