Jury in suspended DA Mark Jones trial still deliberating verdict on 6 of 9 charges
After about six hours of deliberation, the jury in suspended Columbus District Attorney Mark Jones’ misconduct trial reported Friday afternoon that it had reached a unanimous decision on three of Jones’ nine felony charges, but was divided almost evenly on the other six.
The jury sent that information in a note to Judge Katherine Lumsden around 4:10 p.m. Friday, after it had deliberated for about five hours that day. It had about an hour of deliberation after closing arguments Thursday, before leaving for the day and reporting back at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Around 5:30 p.m. Friday, the jurors sent a note saying they needed more time, and asked Lumsden to release them for the weekend. She agreed, telling them to return Monday at 9 a.m.
Lumsden told the attorneys that if she got a guilty verdict Monday, she would sentence Jones that day.
Lumsden had the option Friday of accepting the jury’s verdict on the three counts and declaring a mistrial on the rest. Jones’ attorney Katonga Wright said Jones was willing to accept that. The prosecutor, Deputy Attorney General John Fowler, told the judge he’d prefer the jurors continue to discuss the remaining six charges.
Lumsden let the deliberations continue, and gave jurors what’s called the “Allen charge,” named for a Supreme Court precedent, encouraging them to work together to try to reach a verdict on the remaining counts.
The jury Friday morning asked again to review police body-camera footage of Jones arguing with a homicide detective about a fatal shooting, and later listened again to a recorded phone call of Jones speaking with the nephew of a Columbus man fatally injured during a fight.
The jury of seven women and five men is to decide whether Jones is guilty or innocent on charges alleging he tried to influence witnesses, to persuade a detective to commit perjury, and to bribe staff prosecutors.
- Influencing witnesses by telling a police detective to lie under oath.
- Attempting to suborn perjury in connection with the same incident.
- Violating his oath of office by committing the offenses above.
- Bribery by offering then-Chief Assistant District Attorney Sheneka Terry $1,000 for murder convictions.
- Bribery by offering Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Schwartz $1,000 to announce she was ready for trial in a murder case.
- Attempted violation of an oath of office, by trying to get Terry to accept $1,000.
- Attempted violation of an oath of office, by trying to get Schwartz to accept $1,000.
- Influencing witnesses by pressuring a homicide victim’s nephew to defer testifying in a hearing.
- Violating his oath by not assisting the nephew in navigating the court system.
The jury heard three days of testimony from multiple prosecution witnesses, but Wright elected to call no witnesses for the defense, saying Jones by law did not have to prove his innocence. Jones declined to testify.
This story was originally published November 12, 2021 at 4:43 PM.