Jury Deliberations In Leon Ford Civil Rights Case To Resume Tuesday
Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Leon Ford left the federal courthouse Friday afternoon after the third full day of deliberations still without a verdict in his civil trial against two Pittsburgh Police officers.
The jury seems unable to answer two questions about the traffic stop from five years ago: Did Detective Andrew Miller assault Ford in attempting to pull him from the car, and did Detective David Derbish use excessive force in shooting Ford five times?
Shots that left Ford paralyzed from the waist down.
Ford, his attorneys and attorneys for the officers and the city are under a gag order and cannot talk about the case so as not to influence the jurors who are struggling to make a decision.
After deliberating for three hours Friday morning, the jury informed Judge Maureen Kelly they were deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict.
Kelly ordered them back, instructing them to try some more. They left for home at 3:45 p.m. with instructions to return after Monday's holiday at 8 a.m. Tuesday to resume their deliberations.
By ordering the jury back on Tuesday, Kelly is determined to get a verdict in this case and she's giving the jurors a long weekend to think about it.
