The jury in the trial of the 16-year-old squeegee worker accused of fatally shooting a 48-year-old man in Baltimore last summer have asked the judge about a mistrial.
In a note, the jury asked for “handwritten instructions as to what a mistrial is,” according to the Baltimore Sun. The judge reportedly replied: “I’m going to ask you to keep working.”
A mistrial occurs when a jury is either unable to reach a verdict, requring a new trial and a new jury, or when there is a “serious procedural error or misconduct that would result in an unfair trial,” resulting in a new trial, according to the Legal Information Institute.
The trial has spanned a week, as closing arguments were delivered on Monday.
The murder trial involves a squeegee worker, who was 14 years old at the time of the incident. He is accused of killing Timothy Reynolds, who was armed with a bat when he confronted a group of squeegee workers last July. Mr Reynolds was shot five times.
The prosecution argued that the squeegee worker was guilty of premeditated murder, claiming that he grabbed a bag, which contained a handgun, before the confrontation with Reynolds. They also alleged that the squeegee worker pulled a mask over his face before shooting.
The defence, however, argued there was insufficient evidence to prove that teenager was the shooter. On top of this, they argued that the shooter opened fire in defence of themselves or other squeegee workers.
Both sides argued that the video footage was the most important piece of evidence, the Baltimore Sun reported. Footage caught Reynolds’ car pulling up to a busy intersection, where squeegee workers were trying to wash windshields, and driving off when the light changed.
Someone wearing a pink shirt can be seen running to grab a bag that was sitting on the curb after a quick interaction with Reynolds.
Separate footage captured Reynolds crossing about 10 lanes of traffic while wielding a baseball bat and walking away.
The video then showed three squeegee workers following Reynolds, who turned toward them and charged at them with a bat raised above him.
The outlet said the footage showed Reynolds swinging the object toward one worker, while another threw something at the 48-year-old man, which smacked him in the head, and caused him to stumble.
Then another person then shot him five times.
Two witnesses of the incident testified; neither said they could identify the gunman.
