Judge Larry Roberts declared a mistrial in State v Robert Shuler Smith. Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following statement:
Here is the note that was sent to the judge:
“I am disappointed that the jury was deadlocked in this case, but a mistrial was the only appropriate result after learning that a juror sat silently during jury questioning before the trial, even though that juror knew the defendant. Unfortunately, we learned after a 2-1/2 week trial that a juror talked during deliberations about having known the defendant. A juror takes an oath to answer questions posed to them by the Court and the lawyers. Consequently, this case will need to be presented to another Hinds County jury as soon as possible. Any inappropriate conduct will be appropriately addressed. Jury service is the responsibility for all of us as citizens, and justice in any jurisdiction depends upon the integrity, courage and honesty of the citizens who sit on juries.”
Here is the note that was sent to the judge:
Kingfish note: Will the A.G. prosecute the juror who apparently lied to get on the jury?
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
53 comments:
el oh el....
Jacktown at it's best!!!
The jurors were probably as confused as hell after listening to Kenny Stokes on the stand.
WTF???
Not good news for RSS.
I figured it would be a slam dunk acquittal. I agree with 5:01. RSS used up all his tricks, the AG will destroy him next go round.
not good news for Hood, or anybody for that matter.
they will not get a conviction by a first district Hinds County jury. period.
Only in Jackson!!!!!!! I wonder why Smith didn't say anything about knowing one of the juror!!!!! He must have thought the FIX was in!!!!!
Good luck finding 12 people in Jacktown who don't know this clown and won't lie about it.
Gale Walker is the key...
Many (really....MANY) formal, written bar complaints, FBI bribery case, unused evidence as related to this case. This trash will eventually be discarded in shame.
I love the fact this POS is spending $300/hour on his sleazy lawyer, and the bleeding has just begun. Gonna need a lot of love offerings haha.
Those 2 white trash trolls Charlotte Reeves and Linda Brune have been getting their 15 seconds on WAPT. Where is the ego maniac John Reeves??
RSS being disbarred or suspended will suffice to remove him....
You place a great deal of faith in the bar. The bar let Vann Leonard practice law after he got convicted in North Mississippi of embezzling from a client. It didn't move to suspend him until Judge Grant threw him in jail several months later on contempt of court AND this website publicized the arrest.
The Bar is worthless. There is a lawyer in Jackson who is a sometimes judge who is letting his huge porn actress secretary practice law.
I'm no legal beagle but why didn't the AG request a change of venue?
Hey Mullethead, maybe next time you'll make a motion to change venue. Otherwise you're screwed.
So Hood said it was because of the tainted juror but there were
Two alternate jurors available and waiting to deliberate if need be
And there apparently was a need be.
6:30. John Reeves has been quiet for months. We rednecks miss is racist self. Couple of trials coming up I bet he is subpoenaed for.
6:30 As far as I can tell, those two "trolls" are the only two I have seen with the wherewithal to stand up for what is right! You neutered, pathetic pieces of protoplasm certainly don't! And 'white trash'? You should follow the exemplary example they set, you whiny twirp!!!
My understanding is only defense can ask for a change of venue.
State can't change venue.
If Hood is so upset with the rouge juror, why was the state so willing to let the jury continue to deliberate? The state opposed the mistrial after calling Hood for permission to make a decision.
Your understanding is correct KF. A criminal defendant has a constitutional right to be tried by his peers, which means in the venue where the crime occurred. No way to move it out of Hinds County. A more interesting question to me is how the hell RSS was allowed to make his own closing argument after waiving his right to testify? Bizarre all around.
And watching them call Hood to find out whether they opposed the motion for a mistrial! How embarrassing for a practicing attorney to have to do that in open court.
Has it occurred to anyone that all these parties are wasting taxpayer money while they play these legal games ?
well, except in Hinds County, the prosecution can choose to prosecute the case in either the first or second district. the first district is entirely the city of Jackson and most of Clinton. so Hood could try the case in Raymond.
7:14. Hahahahaha. You and that redneck white trash troll. Get. A. Life. While. Your. Trashy. Old. Self. Can.
Ahhh, the old "last minute Facebook friend request trick". That's the 2nd time I've fallen for it today!
Even without the juror they were no where near a unanimous verdict! Mistrial was the best the AGO could hope for... and Gayle is full of shit.. she was absolutely one of the worst prosecutors ever to set foot in the Hinds DA's office and that's saying something... also she had the end of the alphabet not Butlers case.
8:45. Dream on it is over soon. For you.
A criminal defendant in MS has a right under the MS Constitution to argue his case himself. I have considered doing that on one rare occasion. I bet it's a hell of a good tactic if used correctly.
You can't just pick any whichever judicial district. It had to be the judicial district where the crime occurred.
It's over. Done. Finito. Guess Hood can go back to chomping at google. And the rest of you surrounding metro area cow-patty kickers can actually get a life.
RSS will be tearing ass up tomorrow!
Judges are in a real box.....criminal defendants are about to skate even more.
There is no way that a black district attorney is going to get convicted by a Hinds County jury. And yet, they call us racist!
KF .....the bar has complaints from multiple judges in the largest county in the state.....they will move with haste
As the next trial develops, watch RSS's eyebrows.
I'll bet his brows will get bushier.
Smith will have less money to waste on his weekly eyebrow plucking . . . or is it called a browicure ?
8:32 Are you that person I know who drinks and drinks and drinks because you are so self aggrandized you cant cope with reality......and then you drink some more? YOU get a life or your liver will check out before the rest of your OLD body does! Now you be sweet and try to sober up before Sunday when you drag your OLD ass to church to show everyone what a good drunk Christian you are.
As a lifelong Jacksonian (60+years) and I am tickled to death to declare that I am now a loyal subject of Queen Mary. I now just sit back, prop my feet up and sip my martini watching the shit show called Jackson. over and out.
HOOD IS NOT ALLOWED TIO A CHANGEOF VENUE. HOOD IS NOT EXPECTED TO KNOW IF A JUROR IS I BIASED IN FAVOR OF RSS BIG OLEFUNLESS SHE SAY SO. WHICH SHE DIDN't She a lie! A BIG OLE LIE.
Robert Shuler won Hinds County in the last election by 70% of the vote! And his roots reach every area of the county. You will not find 12 people who don't know him. The man is about as friendly and approachable as they come! You will be hard pressed to find a finer guy.
Jim Hood ought to stop letting Stan and Marvin and Beasley and Yurtkuran make a monkey out of him.
The State had to have spent over $1 mil prosecuting this case. Phil should do Tate a favor and have this matter looked into. Hood has already started nailing his own coffin shut. Ha! I suppose a new trial would just bury him right on where he needs to be. The political graveyard is full of inexperienced leaders like Hood.
Hood spent three weeks on a case that he could not prove. Facts are still the same. Evidence is still the same. This is a major waste of taxpayer dollars.
70% PEOPLE!!! They ought to just save face and get rid of this garbage.
I wonder if Jim Hood was in Jackson when they called for his permission? I bet not - he was probably sitting in Houston. That's where he spends a majority of his time while his minions work in Jackson.
@11:58 what geniuses they are. I could go on about how stupid the drug war is or other some such "liberal topic".
But when bullets are flying and the murder rate is more per capita than Chicago and the D.A. protects the criminals instead of the innocent people trying to live life, I'm not voting for Smith.
That just makes too much damn sense though.
9:16 please consult the Mississippi Code. In Hinds County, any criminal case can be tried in either district. Stick to power washing mobile homes and stop trying to be a part time attorney.
8:45 You are spot on regarding the Gail Walker Clown. How did that woman get a law license? She admitted that she was a criminal! Writing bad checks, (to feed her four childen because she was too proud to accept food stamps) etc. etc. Testimony should have been thrown out.
What happens to the juror that failed to reveal the fact that He/She knew RSS before the trial started? Slap on the hand, jail time, fine??? It seems fair to me for that person to pay for the failed trial costs.
Is the Raymond courthouse even a functioning venue? It's a beautiful building but last time I was inside it, it was dilapidated and the court room was closed off. The stairway to the second floor was roped too.
What happens to the tainted juror?
The only way to avoid Hinds County juror crap would be for feds to file corruption charges in federal court, which won't happen as long as Bennie's minion remains U.S. Attorney.
Which ends in, what, two weeks? Oh happy day. Between the Hinds DA, the Mississippi AG and the US DOJ, the bad guys have had free reign. Can't wait to see who ends up in charge of federal grand juries now . . .
Hey maybe the fix WAS in. The "rogue" juror pulled the plug when the best the AG clowns could hope for was a mistrial... Their ace in the hole.
Too much crooked shit going on by both sides. Both sides had to know the juror worked for the cops. Neither side should have let the person be added to the jury. Both sides had their reasons for letting the juror stay. None of the reasons was honesty.
It is very hard to decide if a person is guilty when all sides are made up of criminals.
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