Harris Jury Finishes Second Day of Deliberations

The jury finished its second day of deliberations Friday in the third Cal Harris murder trial. After hearing some of Barbara Thayer’s testimony, the judge instructed the jury to disregard portions of Thayer’s testimony that was read to them. The court reporter had accidentally read portions of the testimony that had been previously stricken from the record. After the judge’s instructions, and outside the presence of the jury, the defense filed its fourteenth motion for mistrial. Defense attorney Bruce Barket said the judge did not follow through with how he said he would instruct the jury to disregard the stricken testimony. Judge Bartlett denied the mistrial motion. Just before being dismissed for the day Friday, jurors submitted a note requesting a copy of the charge (murder in the second degree). The judge said he would read the charge aloud again to jurors. The jury will reconvene today at 9:15 a.m. for its third day of deliberations. In the first Cal Harris murder trial, the jury deliberated for four hours over two days. In the second trial, the jury deliberated for nine hours over two days.