Mistrial declared in Somerton shooting case
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A mistrial has been declared in the case of a Somerton man who shot a man leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
The ruling by the judge came down shortly before 4 p.m. on Tuesday after the jury could not decide on whether the suspect, 50-year-old Sidney Lee should be found guilty of aggravated assault in this case.
The trial lasted for about a week.
Deliberations started on Tuesday, April 16, and closing arguments happened on Friday, April 19, with the jury starting deliberations that same day.
They were back in court Tuesday deliberating for several hours but could not come to a verdict.
The judge then called for a mistrial and excused the jury.
"I hope you take this later and realize that this was experience for you I know it probably doesn’t seem that now so you are excused from your jury servuces your excused from inhibition," said Judge Roger A. Nelson.
During the trial, the jury got to see a home security video of Lee shooting the victim three times during a fight this past January in Somerton.
In the video, they also saw the victim punching Lee in the face before he was shot.
Lee is scheduled to be back in court on May 2 to see if he will be re-tried.
In the meantime, he will remain in custody.
