Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Daniel Dougherty: Philadelphia: Arson/Murder trial; Extraordinary Development: A juror has been dismissed in the fifth day of deliberations in the Daniel Dougherty arson-murder retrial, after she became emotionally unable to proceed. The unidentified juror told the others that "[w]e are going to cause her to have a nervous breakdown," the jury said in a note to the judge. The note said the juror was hyperventilating and "popping pills." A second note said, "We are at a stalemate on the charge of arson." Reporter Jeff Gammage; Philadelphia Inquirer;


"A juror has been dismissed in the fifth day of deliberations in the Daniel Dougherty arson-murder retrial, after she became emotionally unable to proceed. The unidentified juror told the others that "[w]e are going to cause her to have a nervous breakdown," the jury said in a note to the judge. The note said the juror was hyperventilating and "popping pills." A second note said, "We are at a stalemate on the charge of arson. Both notes were sent to the judge late Tuesday, and were revealed in court Wednesday morning. Judge J. Scott O'Keefe instructed the jury on Wednesday to halt deliberations. An alternate juror was being recalled. The jury foreman told the judge that the dismissed juror would at times rest her head on a table, not participating in deliberations, and at other times would jump up and pace the room. The judge said in court that the juror had been untruthful when she was seated, saying that her son had one drug charge when in fact he has two robbery cases pending, among other charges." http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160407_Judge_dismisses_juror_during_deliberations_in_arson-murder_retrial.html