Man accused of killing Brendan Tevlin, a Livingston resident, chose not to attend today's trial for armed robbery he allegedly committed approximately two weeks after the fatal shooting.
Today, Brown advised Superior Court Judge Michael Petrolle and the attorneys that he did not want to come to court, via a video conference from the Essex County jail earlier today.
Once jurors entered the court, Petrolle advised jurors to not draw any conclusions from Brown's decision not to be present.
Ali Muhammad Brown, 30, of Seattle, is on trial in connection to an armed robbery back on July 10, 2014, where officials say Brown, while bearing a mask, stole the man's wallet and other belongings in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 200 Mount Pleasant Avenue in West Orange.
Then ordered victim to get inside the trunk of the man's vehicle while pointing a handgun at the man.
When Briwn was taken into custody on July 18, 2014, he was allegedly found in possession of a handgun, the clothing used to mask his face and the victim's wallet.
Authorities believe Brown committed the robbery after fatally shooting Tevlin on June 25, 2014.