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Juror in Seth Adams civil case speaks about mistrial

Holdout "believed everything defense said'
Posted at 11:43 AM, Mar 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-17 11:43:24-04

A juror in the Seth Adams civil case is talking to Contact 5.

The case ended in a mistrial Wednesday, when a jury of 9 could not unanimously decide whether PBSO Sergeant Michael Custer used excessive force, when he shot and killed Adams in May 2012.

One juror agreed to speak, only if we did not reveal their identity. That juror said that when the jury first went into deliberations, "a couple were on the fence .. after reviewing the evidence, their questions were answered."

Early Wednesday morning, the jury told the judge they were deadlocked, but the judge ordered them back to deliberations to try again. At that time, this juror says the split was 7-2. The 8th juror, who was on the fence, "(appeared) as if they were going to go with the majority," and finally did.

The juror we spoke with tells Contact 5, the actual split at the end of the mistrial was 8-1 in favor of excessive force.

But they say there was one juror, a holdout from the start, whom they say "believed everything the defense said," and there "was no changing that juror's mind."

The juror went on to say that the holdout "is entitled to their decision, and we respected that." They said there was great respect in that jury room from the beginning and wanted to stress that no one should judge the holdout juror. Despite not seeing eye to eye, everyone had a respect for process.

The juror did not want to speak about what evidence was, or wasn't crucial, saying it had been a long month.

There maybe be another trial coming soon. The judge in this case has ordered a hearing to discuss a new trial date. That hearing is March 30th.