Sammons v. State

Fletcher, Chief Justice.

A jury convicted Edith Tillyne Sammons of murder in the death of her estranged husband, Gregory Cooper Sammons. She appeals, contending that she was absent from a critical stage of the proceedings. Because the trial court replaced a juror following an ex parte meeting at which Sammons was not present, and to which she did not consent, we reverse and remand for a new trial.

The State’s evidence showed that Sammons’ husband had filed for divorce. Just a few days before the crime occurred, her husband had been granted temporary custody of the couple’s two children, and had…