TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Shawnee County District Court judge says a juror who posted comments on a newspaper website during a murder trial committed misconduct.
The ruling issued Monday requires the Shawnee County district attorney to show beyond a reasonable doubt that the misconduct did not affect the trial against Anceo D. Stovall.
The juror posted a comment on a Topeka Capital-Journal story about the trial while the jury was recessed.
Stovall was one of nine suspects in the July 2011 killing of Natalie Gibson and the wounding of her life partner, Lori Allison. His trial ended in a hung jury on nine counts, an acquittal on one count and a conviction on another count.
The Capital-Journal reports that Stovall is seeking a new trial based on juror misconduct.
