The judge told Issac O. Maiden, “You dodged one here.” One juror cited confusing testimony among the reasons for the acquittal.
What's going on here....on one side the Victim says the bad guys were 'Just lashing out in anger' (WTF) and on the other hand Ramsey county can't get a minimal conviction and it looks like WITNESS INTIMIDATION is in play here.
I'm stumped.
Jurors acquitted Issac O. Maiden Friday of all charges in this summer’s brutal attack on Ray Widstrand, a St. Paul man who requires 24-hour care due to the injuries he sustained.
The not guilty verdicts were returned after about four hours of deliberations. Juror Tom Paulson said that there were too many holes and that witness testimony was “very confusing.” The jury acquitted Maiden of first-degree assault, first-degree aggravated robbery and two counts of a crime committed for the benefit of a gang.
“We just thought there wasn’t enough proof,” Paulson said. “A lot of [jurors] felt [witnesses] were covering for themselves.”
Maiden’s attorney, Bruce Wenger, said that Maiden would be released from jail and be home by Friday evening.
“I’m thrilled,” Wenger said.
Maiden, 19, is the first of five teens charged in the Aug. 4 attack to stand trial.
In their closing arguments Friday morning, Assistant Ramsey County Attorney David Miller and Wenger each tried to raise doubt about a number of witnesses. Miller said that gang violence could have caused some witnesses to be evasive in court.
Several witnesses testified that they and Maiden have ties to or are familiar with a number of St. Paul gangs with violent reputations.
Witnesses and a St. Paul police gang investigator testified that members of the Gutta Block, HAM Crazy, Get Money Gang and East Side Boyz gangs were present when Widstrand was attacked about 11:30 p.m. at Minnehaha Avenue and Preble Street. Several of those gangs are responsible for multiple murders of teens on the East Side, including the July murder of Vincent “Mo” Allison, 17.
Allison’s cousin, Treheem Smith, testified at Maiden’s trial. Miller told jurors Friday morning that Smith told police in an Aug. 5 interview that East Side Boyz gang members attacked Widstrand, but that he then refused to discuss gang involvement in court.
Wenger said he didn’t think intimidation was a factor in his client’s case and that it was a “red herring.” Several witnesses not only contradicted each other about Maiden’s actions that night, but also the actions of Cindarion D. Butler, 17. Butler is charged as an adult in the case and has yet to stand trial.
Juror noticed intimidation
The impact of intimidation was apparent to jurors, said Paulson, who detected it in witnesses’ quiet voices and changing accounts of that night.
“I think [intimidation] was a huge factor,” Paulson said. “[Witnesses] were scared to talk, and I don’t blame them.”
