Ryan Shaum

There's a hung jury at the trial of a New Jersey blogger charged with making death threats against three Illinois judges. A judge in New York declared a mistrial in the case of Hal Turner after jurors sent him two notes — one on Friday and another on Monday — saying they were hopelessly deadlocked. Deliberations began Friday. The 47-year-old Turner was charged earlier this year with threatening three appellate judges who upheld handgun bans in Chicago and suburban Oak Park, Ill. Turner blasted the decision with a lengthy Internet posting saying, "These judges must die." He also posted the judges' photographs and telephone ... Read Full Story

The argument about whether hate speech is protected by the 1st Amendment has been postponed. “A judge declared a mistrial Monday in the case against a New Jersey blogger accused of making death threats against three federal judges in Chicago because they wrote a ruling supporting gun control,” the Associated Press reports . “The mistrial came after the jury sent two notes – one during its first day of deliberation on Friday and another on Monday – saying it was hopelessly deadlocked over charges Hal Turner threatened to kill or assault a federal judge,” the AP report continues. “A retrial was scheduled for March ... Read Full Story

A judge in Sheboygan County has declared a mistrial in the case of a daycare worker charged with felony child abuse for allegedly hurting a 10-month-old girl so badly she had to have reconstructive surgery on her private area. The Sheboygan Press reports Judge Terence Bourke declared a mistrial in Mary Benz’s case based on evidence that the defense discovered had not been disclosed by prosecutors. The paper says Defense Attorney Richard Hahn made a motion to dismiss because he stumbled onto a manila folder while visiting DA Joe DeCecco’s office. The file was ... Read Full Story

A federal judge has declared a mistrial in the first trial over whether Merck & Co.'s osteoporosis drug, Fosamax, causes painful jaw bone destruction. Jurors in the month-long trial in Manhattan had been saying since Monday that they couldn't reach a verdict. Deliberations deteriorated to the point that lawyers waiting in the courtroom could hear screaming coming from the jury room and one female juror said another juror threw a chair at her. After just an hour of deliberations today, Judge John F. Keenan declared a mistrial in the case of plaintiff Shirley Boles. The 71-year-old Fort Walton, Fla., woman alleged she developed severe ... Read Full Story

A federal judge has declared a mistrial in the first trial to be held over whether Fosamax , Merck & Co.’s osteoporosis drug, causes painful jaw bone destruction after it became evident that jurors in the month-long trial in New York were deadlocked. Judge John F. Keenan declared a mistrial in the case brought by Plaintiff Shirley Boles. The Plaintiff, a 71-year-old Florida woman, developed severe dental and jaw-related problems several years after she began taking Fosamax in 1997. Source: Forbes SOURCE: Jere Beasley Report › Judge declares mistrial in first Fosamax Trial Read Full Story