United States v. Cecil Arnold Odom, A/K/A Bud Kelly

The case of Odom is quite simple. He was charged with murder of a federal witness. So was Fincham. Consolidation was deemed an appropriate way to deal with the situation, and a jury was impaneled and testimony taken in the joint trial. Jeopardy consequently attached as to each. After three days of trial, the district court, while acknowledging Odom’s right to assert the theory that Fincham had been responsible for the killing, nevertheless became concerned that a fair trial against Fincham might be compromised so long as the joint trial continued with Fincham bearing the brunt of the…