Authorities investigating juror in church's gay beating case
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North Carolina authorities are investigating a juror who brought unauthorized documents to jury deliberations, causing a mistrial in the case of a minister charged with beating a gay congregant.
Rutherford County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Ricky McKinney told The Associated Press on Thursday his department and the prosecutor's office are investigating the actions of 71-year-old Perry Shade Jr.
McKinney said a gag order prevents him from saying more.
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Jurors were deliberating Tuesday in the trial of Brooke Covington, a minster at Word of Faith Fellowship in Spindale, North Carolina, when Shade was charged with contempt and sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Shade's son says his father "made a mistake" and wasn't trying to derail the trial by bringing in documents, including outdated case law.
A retrial is scheduled for July.