By: Yassah J Wright
Defense lawyers representing former House Speaker, Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, colleagues and several others have faced a serious legal setback in the ongoing Capital Building Arson trial presided over by Criminal Court “A” judge Roosevelt Z. Willie, following the disbandment of the twelve men jury panel.
The Prosecution’s on Monday, December 29, 2025 filed a motion before the judge seeking the dismissal and disbandment of the jury on grounds that they are compromised based on questions asked with prosecution’s witnesses.
The prosecution’s motion arises from an incident on December 22, when a juror requested a replay of a video recorded on November 10, 2024. After the footage was replayed in open court, the juror asked prosecution witness Reafel Wilson to identify the defendant, Etheridge.
Following the identification, the juror remarked that the individual shown in the video appeared to be a Chinese man and questioned whether the person in the footage and the defendant were the same.
The prosecution argued that this exchange, along with other questions posed during Wilson’s testimony, raises serious concerns that jurors may have been consulting among themselves.
Defense lawyers forcefully rejected those claims during arguments on Monday, December 29, 2025, urging the court to deny and dismiss the motion. The defense maintained that the prosecution failed to present any concrete evidence of juror misconduct or identify any action that violated the law or the court’s instructions.
According to the defense, jurors are permitted to ask questions for clarification, and such participation demonstrates attentiveness rather than impropriety.
Counsel described the prosecution’s allegations as “false, misleading, and unsupported by evidence,” arguing that dissatisfaction with juror questions does not meet the legal required for the extraordinary remedy of disbanding a jury.
The defense further characterized the motion as an unwarranted attack on the integrity of the jury panel and, indirectly, on the authority of the court that empaneled and instructed the jurors. They emphasized that there is no evidence any juror was influenced, intimidated, or interfered with during the trial.
Addressing the specific juror referenced by the prosecution, the defense argued that the questions raised were neither illegal nor prejudicial and fell squarely within the juror’s duty to assess the evidence and seek clarity in the pursuit of justice.
The defense also warned that the prosecution’s attempt to politicize juror inquiry is unprecedented and contrary to the principles of a fair trial, cautioning that such actions could undermine public confidence in the judicial process.
But, ruling on the matter on Friday, January 2, 2026, Judge Willie granted the prosecution’s request and denied the defense request to quash the motion, on grounds that he personally observed the juror misbehaviors and called them to order to several occasions.
” IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING FACTS, CIRCUMSTANCES AND LAWS CITED, the entire panel jury is hereby disbanded and/or dismissed and a mistrial announced; meaning, this trial is hereby terminated without a verdict and a new trial is required to start anew. AND IT IS HEREBY SO ORDERED. Given under my hands and Seal of Court this 2 day of January, A.D. 2026,” he concluded.