Judge declares a mistrial in a former Ohio deputy’s murder trial

By Samantha Hendrickson, The Associated Press on February 16, 2024.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – A judge declared a mistrial Friday in the murder trial of a former Ohio sheriff’s deputy because the jury was unable to reach a verdict.

Jason Meade was charged with murder and reckless homicide in the December 2020 killing of Casey Goodson Jr. in Columbus. Meade, who is white, shot Goodson six times, including five times in the back, as the 23-year-old Black man tried to enter his grandmother’s home.

Judge David Young had already declared a mistrial Friday morning, but retracted it minutes later and commended the jurors for their hard work. He declared a final mistrial about two hours after that.

The jury has been unsettled throughout the trial. One alternate was elevated to the main panel during testimony, and three jurors had been dismissed and replaced since deliberations began Wednesday, forcing the jury to restart deliberations multiple times and leaving no more alternates to step in.

Court officials did not say why the jurors were removed, but they can be dismissed for a number of reasons, including if they fall sick, research the case outside the deliberation room, or talk about it to someone outside the court.

Meade testified that Goodson waved a gun at him as they drove past each other, and that Goodson again brandished a gun right before the fatal shooting. No other officers at the scene testified that they saw Goodson holding a gun and Meade was not wearing a body camera during the shooting.

Prosecutors said Goodson was holding a sandwich bag in one hand and his keys in the other when he was killed. They do not dispute that Goodson could have been carrying a gun and say he had a license to carry a firearm.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

The jury in the murder trial of a former Ohio sheriff’s deputy told the judge Friday that they were deadlocked and could not make a unanimous decision, but the judge told them to keep deliberating.

The directive from Judge David Young – known as a Howard Charge – came about two hours after he declared a mistrial and then retracted it minutes later, sending the jury back for more discussions.

Jason Meade was charged in the December 2020 killing of Casey Goodson Jr. in Columbus. Meade, who is white, shot Goodson six times, including five times in the back, as the 23-year-old Black man tried to enter his grandmother’s home.

The jury has been unsettled throughout the trial. One alternate was elevated to the main panel during testimony, and three jurors were dismissed and replaced after deliberations began Wednesday afternoon, forcing the jury to restart deliberations multiple times and leaving no more alternates to step in.

Court officials did not say why any of the jurors were removed, but they can be dismissed for a number of reasons, including if they fall sick, research the case outside the deliberation room, or talk about it to someone outside the court.

Thaddeus Hoffmeister, a law professor at the University of Dayton, said that if a juror were to be dismissed with no remaining alternates, the court would have to declare a mistrial unless the defendant agreed to be tried by a jury of less than the required 12 people.

Another expert noted such a move was unlikely.

“(A full jury) means less of a chance of a unanimous decision — which would also result in a mistrial,” said Joshua Dressler, a retired law professor at The Ohio State University.

Meade is charged with murder and reckless homicide in the December 2020 killing.

Meade testified that Goodson waved a gun at him as the two drove past each other so he pursued Goodson because he feared for his life and the lives of others. He said he eventually shot Goodson in the doorway of his grandmother’s home because the young man turned toward him with a gun.

Goodson’s family and prosecutors have said he was holding a sandwich bag in one hand and his keys in the other when he was fatally shot. They do not dispute that Goodson may have been carrying a gun and note he had a license to carry a firearm.

Goodson’s weapon was found on his grandmother’s kitchen floor with the safety mechanism engaged.

There is no body camera video of the shooting, and prosecutors repeatedly asserted that Meade is the only person who testified Goodson was holding a gun.

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