Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood blamed the judge presiding over a murder case for three "not guilty verdicts."
LaQuonte McCants, Darrin Miller and Darrion Johnson were all found not guilty just minutes after the jury began deliberations on Thursday. The victim in the case, Martha McGinsey, was shot and killed in September 2020 at her home on Roderick Road. Prosecutors called the shooting a "revenge killing."
Following the verdict, Blackwood took to social media to criticize Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Michael Windom.
"Today, a jury found three defendants not guilty of murder after Judge Windom suppressed lawful evidence presented by the State, preventing the jury from considering it," Blackwood stated. "This case largely hinged on the testimony of a single witness who had previously testified under oath to the same set of facts. The State provided Judge Windom with the controlling case law, including from the United States Supreme Court, as well as an applicable statute. Under the law provided, Judge Windom should have allowed the testimony to proceed. Notably, no contrary law was provided by the defense."
Still, Blackwood said Windom declined to follow the law and excluded the testimony. He said the judge also instructed the jury to disregard everything that had already been said. Blackwood said at that point, his hands were tied.
"Jurors can only decide a case based on the evidence the Judge allows them to consider," he added. "When material, admissible evidence is removed from their consideration, it necessarily narrows the factual landscape before them. We deeply respect the jurors and their service. They rendered their decision based solely on the evidence Judge Windom permitted them to hear. The limitations placed on that evidence were not theirs to control."
Blackwood said his office is working on legislation to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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