Reporter's Tweeted Photo Leads to Mistrial in Topeka Murder Case
A Topeka judge has declared a mistrial in a murder case because a reporter inadvertently tweeted a photo of one of the jurors.
Reporter Ann Marie Bush of the Topeka Capital-Journal was allowed to take photos with a camera phone as long as no jurors were pictured, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports. When she was covering the opening of the trial with live tweets, one photo was posted that showed a profile of a juror in the background, according to Capital-Journal publisher Gregg Ireland.
“The Capital-Journal regrets the error and loss of the court’s time,” Ireland said in a statement. “We will use this as a training opportunity for our staff members as they strive to bring information to our readers in digital and print media.”
The trial of 20-year-old Austin Tabor will likely be rescheduled for June or July. He is accused in a 2010 fatal shooting outside a high school.
