It Would Be Better If They Had No Eyes. At least there would have been no possibility of misunderstanding. A number of white jurors in the Slager case were reportedly undecided heading into deliberations, with many considering the lesser charge of manslaughter over murder. But jury foreman Dorsey Montgomery, the lone African-American on the panel, told reporters that the doggedness of a single white juror who said he could not convict Slager, who is white, under any circumstance helped lead to the mistrial. The jury’s final vote was 10 in favor of handing down a voluntary manslaughter charge and two who voted not guilty. Prosecutors now say they’ll retry the case. Slager also still faces federal civil rights charges.
Jurors in Slager’s trial ended up avoiding discussions of race during deliberations, jury foreman Montgomery told the “Today” show. [MORE]