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Cape Cod Murder

“Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens.” - Emmanuel Teney
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Juror #4 dismissed in McCowen trial; complained to jailed boyfriend

11/14/06 · 10:35 am :: posted by editor     

Juror Complained to Jailed Boyfriend

by John Springer for Court TV from the CNN sitecourt_tv_01

BARNSTABLE, Massachusetts (Court TV) -- A day after a jury announced it was deadlocked in the case of murdered fashion writer Christa Worthington, the judge kicked a juror off the panel for discussing the deliberations with her jailed boyfriend.

The boyfriend is a suspect in an attempted murder over the weekend.

Juror No. 4 appeared nervous but composed when Superior Court Gary Nickerson informed her that she was being discharged because of tape recordings that revealed she had violated his instructions not to discuss the case or monitor news coverage.

Read the rest of the story on the CNN site here and comment below.

________________________________________________________________

Juror Removed from Worthington Panel

Judge listens to telephone tape recording

wcvb_logo_01from WCVB-TV Boston

A woman serving on the Christa Worthington murder case jury on Cape Cod was removed from the panel Tuesday morning after the judge presiding over the trial listened to a telephone recording between the juror and her boyfriend, who was arrested over the weekend.

The attorney for defendant Christopher McCowen protested the decision, saying it was "outrageous" to take the juror off the panel after it had been deliberating for five days. Robert George said the move destroyed his client's right to a fair trial and he called for a mistrial. Judge Gary Nickerson denied the motion.

Read the rest of the WCVB article here and comment below.

________________________________________________________________

Juror in Cape Cod murder trial dismissed after talking to jailed boyfriend about the deliberations

court_tv_01by John Springer for Court TV

BARNSTABLE  - A day after a jury announced it was deadlocked in the case of murdered fashion writer Christa Worthington, the judge kicked a juror off the panel for discussing the deliberations with her jailed boyfriend, a suspect in an attempted murder over the weekend.

Juror No. 4 appeared nervous but composed when Superior Court Gary Nickerson informed her that she was being discharged because of tape recordings that revealed she had violated his instructions not to discuss the case or monitor news coverage.

Read the rest of the Court TV article here and comment below.

9 comments
Blog posts and comments are entirely the thoughts and ideas of the people who write them and in no way represent the views of CapeCodToday.com, eCape, Inc., or its employees or owners.

11/14/06 @ 10:55 am
oh the huge manatee! [Member] writes:
Holy Crow! Wow, I didn't know they could do that. Maybe that jurist was the one obstructing the whole process and they managed to find an excuse to get rid of her. This certainly stirs the pot!
 [ Show all comments by this user ]
11/14/06 @ 11:23 am
wolfram [Member] writes:
I can see why Attorney George would be upset. Here, he had one juror who is obviously partial to criminals and poof, she's gone.
 [ Show all comments by this user ]
11/14/06 @ 12:53 pm
stannis [Member] writes:
I think she got rid of herself. The defense ain't happy about it. Now an older woman with whitish hair has stepped in. Outch! Outch! Outch! Sayith da defense!
 [ Show all comments by this user ]
11/14/06 @ 1:20 pm
satan [Member] writes:
For some reason I can't get the Garbage song, "Stupid Girl" out of my head...
 [ Show all comments by this user ]
11/14/06 @ 1:27 pm
Cape Cod Republican [Member] writes:
The Judge should hold juror #4 in Contempt of Court and she should spend time in Jail. This would send a message that a trial is serious business. The Jurors were told NOT to Discuss the Trial with anyone. I have served on a jury on a rape case and we were told the same by the presiding judge. It is also noted that all the media was asked to leave the court grounds, with the exception of Court TV. I understand a Contempt of Court hearing is scheduled for tomorrow and the CCT is one of the media outlet involved. Interesting!!!!
 [ Show all comments by this user ]
11/14/06 @ 1:41 pm
maverick [Member] writes:
The Yarmouth Taxpayer...Great point. But why didn't the prosecution find out about this jurist during jury selection? They ask questions and if you fall in the category you have to raise your hand so they can get more specific. Did she lie?
 [ Show all comments by this user ]
11/14/06 @ 2:58 pm
Buzz [Member] writes:
Maverick,

The information that transpired with Juror #4 took place of the weekend when her ex-boyfriend was arrested on a murder attempt. Apparently, there were some recorded phone calls between the two that were brought before the judge.

He was not to happy. I can't see how he could not excuse the juror given the recorded evidence of her conversation.
 [ Show all comments by this user ]
11/14/06 @ 3:37 pm
maverick [Member] writes:
KMA...thanks. I don't get CourtTV or haven't figured out where it is on the dish.

Please e-mail me at info@maverickchartersltd.com

I need some advice that is not linked to "murder and mayhem".

Thanks,
Jack
 [ Show all comments by this user ]
11/14/06 @ 4:47 pm
stannis [Member] writes:
Court TV reported today that the prosecution objected to seating No. 4 during jury selection, but she was selected for whatever reason. This trial has gone from a murder to bizarre entertainment. Does Christa even factor into this anymore? It appears the trial has taken on a life of its own....You know, I have heard so many reports about what a mellow guy and a nice fella Chris is. I knew the same sort of guy, but he drank too much one night and then went into work. This great guy and father turned into a murderer by taking off the head of a fellow employee. Gross and terrible event, but nice guys do kill people and alcohol consumption can unleash rage in some people.
 [ Show all comments by this user ]
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Previous/Next posts in this blog

« Starting over, jury returns to judge with question
The mysterious 12:03 a.m. phone call from state police »

About This Blog

murdercapecodChristopher McCowen is being tried for the brutal murder of fashion writer Christa Worthington. This blog aggregates the news about the trial and offer readers the opportunity to give their opinions.

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