People v. Fountain

This is an appeal from a decision of the Court of Appeals which reversed their conviction and awarded new trials to each of the defendants.

The defendants were convicted of second-degree murder by a jury in recorder’s court.

During the course of the trial 1 of the 14 jurors comprising the panel was importuned by someone who talked to that juror about the case. She reported the incident to the judge in chambers:

"The Court: I want you to be perfectly frank in what you are saying to me. I don’t know what it is. The only reason I am having a record made is in the event it is necessary. But I can…