Mistrial declared in lawsuit over fatal shooting by deputy
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Florida judge declared a mistrial Wednesday in a lawsuit over the killing of an unarmed nurseryman by a sheriff’s deputy after jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict.
The five-man, four-woman panel had deliberated about 14 hours over three days in the death of Seth Adams at the hands of Palm Beach County Sgt. Michael Custer. Jurors told the court they had deadlocked 7-2 in favour of Adams’ parents, Dick and Lydia Adams, who were seeking between $10 million and $20 million for their 24-year-old son’s death five years ago.
Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley in West Palm Beach told the jurors, “Sometimes you can’t get a unanimous verdict on a difficult case, even after the attorneys have marshalled all the evidence.” He told them they could not have been more conscientious and diligent. The jurors declined to comment as they left the courthouse after the month-long trial.
Adams’ parents said that while they were disappointed no verdict was reached, they were buoyed by the vote and promised to retry the lawsuit. They say the vote shows Custer’s depiction of their son as an obscene drunk who attacked him without provocation is false.