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January 18, 2008
Posted: 03:12 PM ET

NEW YORK — The fate of a black trash collector convicted of murdering a well-known white fashion writer now rests with the judge who heard the case, which aired live on In Session (then Court TV) last year.

Barnstable Superior Court Judge Gary Nickerson yesterday heard juror testimony in a rare public hearing to decide whether racial bias tainted the jury’s decision.

Judge Nickerson is facing unchartered legal territory as he weighs whether to grant a new trial to Christopher McCowen. Uncharted legal territory but not an uncommon occurrence.

Bias in the jury room is a pervasive problem in our system of justice. The McCowen case simply presents an extreme and terribly clear example.

Whatever the judge decides, his ruling will be appealed to a higher court, prolonging a sad saga that has captivated Cape Cod and beyond since Christa Worthington’s body was found in her Truro home in 2002. If there’s even a hint of prejudice in the jury deliberations, McCown should get a new trial.

Jami Floyd, In Session anchor

Filed under: Jami Floyd


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moira   January 21st, 2008 12:22 pm ET

This case troubled me all along. Christopher McCowen’s lawyer seemed so upset about this case. I know that defense lawyer’s get involved in their case but this seemed much more than that. He truly seemed devastated at the end. I hope there is a new trial.

Pam   January 24th, 2008 3:01 pm ET

I watched the trail and the verdict very much upset me. I also thought that he was innocent. I have been hoping that he would get a new trial. I will keep my fingers crossed.

BRUCE   January 25th, 2008 11:29 am ET

I watched the trial and i never felt the man was guilty I was very surprised by the verdict considering the evidence presented to the jury. Good Luck you deserve another trial.

U   January 25th, 2008 11:48 am ET

It’s about time. The murderer is still out there

DNA evidence man   January 25th, 2008 1:00 pm ET

The amount of DNA evidence makes a good case that he’s the killer. What a horrible, sad case.

codi   January 25th, 2008 8:39 pm ET

I recorded and watched every minute of the trial that was broadcast. I believe McCowen was guilty, but I don’t think he acted alone. I forget the name, but in his confession McCowen said he was with another guy, a guy with a relative in one of the local law enforcement agencies, a guy who testified, but supposively had an alibi.

It’ll be interesting to see the outcome. There’s no individual without a bias. But with the evidence presented, it wasn’t a bias that convicted McCowen, he was involved.

If there was a bias, it was with the prosecution and/or law enforcement for not charging both the killers.

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About this blog

Sidebar takes you behind the scenes of the day's legal headlines with breaking news and in-depth analysis from In Session's anchors and correspondents.

Contributors
Ashleigh Banfield
Co-anchor of the daily trial program Banfield and Ford: Courtside
Ashleigh Banfield
Jack Ford
A former prosecutor and co-anchor of the daily trial program Banfield & Ford: Courtside
Jack Ford
Lisa Bloom
Anchor of the daily trial program Lisa Bloom: Open Court
Lisa Bloom
Jami Floyd
Former defense attorney and anchor of her own daily program Jami Floyd: Best Defense
Jami Floyd
Fred Graham
Senior Editor Fred Graham covers legal news in Washington, D.C.
Fred Graham
Jean Casarez
Attorney Jean Casarez covers trials around the country
Jean Casarez
Beth Karas
Former prosecutor Beth Karas covers trials around the country
Beth Karas
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