Lawyer: Juror Thinks Jones Is Innocent; Judge Delays Murder Sentencing
Nov 06, 2009 at 10:41 am
OSWEGO, NY – Alan Jones will hear his fate another day.
Judge Walter Hafner this morning agreed to adjourn Jones’ sentencing until later this month.
Sal Lanza, Jones’ defense lawyer, has filed a motion to have the jury’s guilty verdict overturned.
Jones, 28, is facing 25 years to life in prison.
In late September, Jones was found guilty of second-degree murder in connection with the death of his 11-year-old step-sister.
On Oct. 29, Lanza, notified the court and the District Attorney’s office that a member of the Jones jury “reached out” to him, expressing concern about what transpired in the during the deliberations.
The juror said he believes Jones is innocent, Lanza said in court this morning.
Erin Maxwell died last August after being strangled by Jones.
Jones claimed Erin died accidentally, after a rope she was playing with got caught around a screw on the window frame in her bedroom.
In a separate trial this summer in Palermo Town Court, Lindsay and Lynn Maxwell, the Erin’s father and step-mother, were found guilty of several counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
They have each been sentenced to two years in jail.
Jones’ father was in court this morning; he left without making any comment when asked by Oswego County Today.
Oswego News
This is definitely a rush to judgment. Most of these uneducated jurors had their minds made up that he was guilty before the trial even started. Typical Oswego County trial by rumor. There should have been a change of venue, this man never had a chance in Oswego. Set the verdict aside and let him go.
why was there none of alans dna on the rope??? seems to me that that is very important, we have dead skin falling and getting rubbed off of our bodies continously.