State v. Archie

Johnson, Judge.

Freddie Archie was indicted on charges of malice murder and aggravated assault. Sua sponte, the trial judge instructed the jury on the elements of voluntary manslaughter as a lesser included offense of the malice murder. After more than seven hours of deliberations, the jury reported that it was deadlocked. The trial judge declared a mistrial. Before the jury was excused, an unreported conference was held at the bench, after which the judge asked the foreperson if a verdict had been reached as to the malice murder count. The foreperson reported that Archie had been found not…