ORLANDO, Fla. – Closing arguments in the trial of three defendants charged in the hazing death of a FAMU drum major are being held up as a prosecutor wants to find out if jurors were influenced by the sight of two defendants praying outside the courtroom.
Almost all of the six jurors and two alternates say they saw Aaron Golson and Benjamin McNamee praying before deputies let lawyers and court personnel into the courtroom Friday.
Judge Renee Roche individually questioned the jurors and alternates about whether it would affect their deliberations.
State Attorney Jeff Ashton says it's possibly a mistrial issue.
McNamee, Golson and Darryl Cearnel were the final three defendants charged in the 2011 death of 26-year-old Robert Champion of Decatur, Georgia. If convicted, they each could face 15 years in prison.
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