Jury sent home early Friday in fatal Hwy 169 shooting trial
Smith, with his attorneys, in a courtroom sketch June 27, 2022. (Courtroom sketch by Cedric Hohnstadt)
Jurors were sent home early on Friday in the trial of a man who is accused of fatally shooting a baseball coach on Highway 169 last summer.
The state was expected to wrap its case up on Friday in Jamal Smith’s trial. Smith is charged with first- and second-degree murder in the death of 56-year-old Jay Boughton.
However, Judge Nicole Engisch sent the jury home at around 11 a.m. It wasn’t immediately clear why jurors were sent home.
The state is now expected to finish presenting its case on Monday, meaning jurors could get the case as early as Tuesday.
RELATED: Juror dismissed as Jamal Smith’s trial gets underway
Smith’s trial began Monday.
Prosecutors have described the fatal shooting as an incident of road rage. Smith’s attorney has pointed to others who were in the vehicle with Smith, saying the evidence doesn’t show Smith shot Boughton.