Former Richardson Mayor, Husband Get New Corruption Trial
Former Richardson Mayor Laura Jordan and her husband Mark Jordan will get a new trial, a federal judge announced Thursday, because of improper communication between a federal court officer and a juror during the couple's original trial, which concluded in March.
The juror, No. 11, sent a note to U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant late in deliberations that she could no longer serve on the panel. Mazzant interviewed the juror in his chambers with the approval of both prosecutors and the Jordan's attorneys. The juror told Mazzant that she couldn't vote because she was "afraid of causing a hung jury," according to court documents.
She also told Mazzant that it was making her “sick to my stomach to convict them.” Mazzant told both parties that the juror was physically ill because she did not want to cause a mistrial. A debate over her status ensued, with Mazzant eventually siding with the Jordans' attorney's that the juror should return to continue deliberating.
After sending Juror No. 11 back to the jury room, Mazzant learned that the juror had also had a conversation with the court officer. She told the officer that, if she was asked in court about her vote, she would say she voted guilty "with reservation." The officer then told the juror "that she should not be concerned about any punishment the defendants may receive,” according to court documents and that if “she did not believe the defendants were guilty, she should vote not guilty.”
Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/former-richardson-mayors-corruption-conviction-thrown-out-11655545