Removal of Holy Spirit juror requires new trial for former lawmaker, en banc 11th Circuit rules
Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown of Florida. Photo from the History, Art & Archives website of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown of Florida is entitled to a new trial in an alleged charity scam because a federal judge removed a juror for his Holy Spirit remark, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday in a 7-4 en banc decision.
The juror, identified as Juror No. 13, had said at the outset of deliberations that the Holy Spirit told him that Brown was innocent of all charges.
Former Florida congresswoman Corrine Brown speaks during a public rally to honor the memory of Trayvon Martin, at Fort Mellon Park in Sanford, Florida, on March 22, 2012. | (Photo: REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli)
A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that a juror was wrongfully dismissed from a trial for saying the Holy Spirit influenced his views in the case after deliberations began.
The juror was removed from a fraud case involving former Congresswoman Corrine Brown, D-Fla, for saying that his âFather in Heavenâ influenced a belief that Brown was not guilty.
The congresswoman, who served in the House of Representatives from 1993 until 2017, faced 18 felony counts related to fraud, ethics and tax offenses. She was accused of conspiring to defraud donors of over $800,000 in contributions to a charity that claimed to provide scholarships to poor students. Authorities allege Brown misused her position in Congress to engage in the conspiracy.Â
email Former Congresswoman Corrine Brown’s Conviction Overturned After Appeals Judges Weigh Juror’s ‘Holy Spirit’ Comment
An appellate court said the religion-based remarks of a juror during the trial should not have been enough to get him dismissed.
Published 14 hours ago
The conviction of former Florida congresswoman
Corrine Brown, charged with running a fraudulent charity, was overturned by a federal appeals court on Thursday,
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th District in Atlanta granted Brown, 74, a new trial in a 7-4 decision. She was convicted in 2017 on 18 counts of allegedly running a scam organization, taking $300,000 for her personal use in what prosecutors said was a lavish lifestyle.