Rocky Houston was accused of murdering Roane County Deputy Bill Jones and his ride-along friend Mike Brown in a shootout. His brother was also brought up on charges, but was acquitted. In Houston’s trial though, the judge made an error in providing instructions to the jury, which may result in a need for an entirely new trial.
The jurors acquitted Houston of eight charges, but left the rest of their juror’s forms blank, following the directions provided by the judge. Houston’s Houston criminal attorney claims that forcing him to face a new trial after the judge made a mistake constitutes double jeopardy against his client. The judge has not yet ruled on whether to call for a new trial or not.
To read more about the dilemma, see the article on CBS Volunteer TV. Image Via cliff1066 [Flickr].