Decryption. Second Jubillar trial: a new Cédric in the dock, Frank Berton, Pierre and Guy Debuisson by his side… how the defense is preparing for the return of the case

The second trial of Cédric Jubillar will take place from September 21 to October 16, 2026, in Toulouse. Retried for the murder of his wife Delphine, he is defended by a strong trio: Pierre and Guy Debuisson and Frank Berton from the Lille bar. They will try to secure the acquittal of this man who was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the first instance.

New lawyer for Cédric Jubillar since January 2026, Pierre Debuisson is strengthening his defense and surrounding himself with key figures. The young Toulouse criminal lawyer has enlisted two prominent figures to prepare for the appeal trial of one of the most publicized cases in France in recent years. Guy Debuisson, father, and Frank Berton from the Lille bar now form the new team around Cédric Jubillar, a 38-year-old plasterer, retried from September 21 to October 16, 2026, in Toulouse for the murder of his wife Delphine.

Last October 17, this man, defended with determination by Mr. Alexandre Martin and Emmanuelle Franck, was sentenced to 30 years of criminal imprisonment by the Tarn Assize Court. No body, no crime scene, no confession. The new strong trio, a blend of great experience and humility, aims to uphold the fundamental principles of the rule of law: “You cannot condemn a man without evidence,” states Pierre Debuisson.

Around him, his father, 75 years old, a renowned Toulouse criminal lawyer known for being a civil party in the Viguier and Estrabaud cases (read more below), two criminal cases without bodies. And Frank Berton, 64, associated with the rehabilitation of the victims of Outreau, or the Florence Cassez case, a French national held in Mexico before being released. The former DJ with a provocative tone has also been known as “the devil’s advocate,” defending Salah Abdeslam, the lone survivor of the November 13 terrorist attacks, before withdrawing from the case. These three-star lawyers position the Jubillar case from the outset as a symbol of the fight against any arbitrary justice.

But against this high-profile team, the accusation is strong. The heavy charges and the substantial evidence that led to the conviction of Cédric Jubillar seem solid. Challenged by the allegations of his son, a witness to a dispute on the evening of December 15, 2020, at the family home in Cagnac-les-Mines, Cédric Jubillar is surrounded by incriminating elements. Delphine’s broken glasses found in the living room (material evidence of the dispute), the car that changed its parking direction at night and could have been used to transport the nurse’s body, cries of terror muffled by dog barks heard by two neighboring women, near the Jubillar villa, and more.

In addition to these, there was the unusual use that Cédric Jubillar made of his phone on the night of the events, indirect death threats against his wife before her disappearance. An agitated husband whose personality is described by experts as “violent, angry, impulsive” and “compatible with action,” as reported by the Tarn Assize Court in its criminal judgment. But a portrait that contrasts with much less divisive character traits. Those who have visited him in detention describe him as a man “respectful of the rules, humble, polite.”

Delphine Jubillar, a 33-year-old mother, was planning to start a new life with her lover. The court only recognized a “conditional acceptance” from Cédric Jubillar regarding the couple’s breakup.

Charges but no evidence. The prosecution relies on numerous testimonies and technical elements, establishing that Delphine Jubillar’s phone (never found) never left the couple’s home area in Cagnac-les-Mines. Furthermore, the prosecution has never unequivocally established the crime scenario. Was Delphine Jubillar killed outside the house? In the living room? And most importantly, her body has never been found. With evasive and sometimes inconsistent responses, Cédric Jubillar did not make it easy for his former lawyers. What will his attitude be in five months? This is one of the keys to this second trial.