Heated deliberations
In a case built on circumstantial evidence, a Georgia jury deadlocked on all seven charges against a mother accused of murdering her 2-year-old son.
Tensions boiled over as soon as the trial of Kianna Davis — a former Georgia high school teacher charged with killing her 2-year-old son, Karter Ambrose — went to the jury Wednesday.
First came a question from the foreperson about a “combative” juror who said she wouldn’t change her mind “in a million years.” Within the next hour, another note arrived from a juror who claimed the foreperson was “harassing” her about her vote.
Perhaps the divide was predictable considering the disturbing yet limited details of the case.
Ambrose had been throwing up and complaining of stomach pains the day before Davis rushed him to a pediatrician in November 2020, where CPR attempts failed on the lifeless toddler. An autopsy report later revealed his cause of death as a lacerated liver caused by a blunt force injury to his abdomen.
State prosecutors painted the 35-year-old Davis as a negligent mother without any direct evidence or eyewitnesses. She took the stand in her defense, insisting she never saw Ambrose fall or injure himself and claiming her son had been hospitalized before with breathing issues. [Megan Butler]
Jurors returned Friday to review more evidence, but the judge ultimately declared a mistrial after they split on all seven charges. Only one juror thought Davis was guilty of felony murder; on the other hand, only one believed she shouldn’t be convicted on the lesser count of cruelty to children.
Davis faced a potential life sentence if convicted. Her boyfriend, Kiyon Benton, has also pleaded not guilty to murder charges and is set for trial as early as November.
The Courthouse News keeps rolling below.
Here’s what else happened in court this week
Mahmoud Khalil sued the Trump administration, accusing the feds of violating the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 by conspiring with Zionist groups to jail him and other pro-Palestine activists. [Erik Uebelacker]
AI backlash: A group of current and former Meta employees punched back after the social media giant used an artificial intelligence model to lay off 10% of its workforce, suing over claims the AI system targeted workers who took protected leave. However, a judge denied their bid for a temporary restraining order to restore their employment. [Carly Nairn]
Predator playground: Roblox tried to use the Section 230 shield against LA County’s claims that the online gaming platform is a breeding ground for sexual predators, but a state judge appeared on the fence as to whether the popular website deserves protection from the public nuisance lawsuit. [Edvard Pettersson]
Parent-in-crime: A British judge sentenced Kiran Kaur to three years in prison for hiding the knife her son used to kill 18-year-old Henry Nowak, marking the first member of convicted murderer Vickrum Digwa’s family to join him behind bars. [James Francis Whitehead]
Staying Skibidi: The studio behind the viral YouTube meme series “Skibidi Toilet” prevailed in a copyright battle against a Dubai-based tech company claiming ownership over the multimillion-dollar franchise. [Margaret Attridge]
Melting ICE: A federal judge ordered a Southern California ICE facility in the desert town of Adelanto to improve conditions at the privately owned detention center, including mandatory 24-hour access to clean water, decent food and adequate sanitation. [Hillel Aron]
FBI fail: In the latest reckoning with outdated forensic science, the Hawaii Supreme Court tossed a Maui man’s 36-year-old rape conviction and granted him a new trial after an FBI agent’s 1990 testimony on hair evidence was deemed erroneous by the feds. [Carly Nairn]
Previously on Sidebar
Texas's Senate Bill 8 gave private citizens the ability to file civil lawsuits against anyone who provides or helps someone attain an abortion, with a possible award of at least $10,000 per lawsuit. Then California passed a law modeled on Texas, allowing private citizens to sue gun law violators.
What does it mean to put this kind of power into the hands of ordinary people who end up selecting themselves to take up the cause of policing or surveilling others' decisions?
Here’s what you’ve been reading
Trial wraps for Georgia teacher accused in 2-year-old son’s death
Texas judge releases grisly evidence from murder trial of Karmelo Anthony
Danny Masterson asks appeals court to overturn rape conviction
Hunter Biden wins $1.7 million in punitive damages against Patrick Byrne
Judge cautions Melania Trump against trying to sanction journalist Michael Wolff
Class action claims CeraVe baby ointments identical to adult versions
Albertsons, a supermarket that also served as the second-largest pharmacist in the state of Washington between 2006 and 2022, is on trial over its role in exacerbating the opioid crisis by giving hundreds of millions of prescription drug pills to “red flag” customers during that span. [Hillel Aron]
Rulings on our radar 📡
» San Francisco Superior Court: A judge found enough evidence to proceed to an evidentiary hearing over potential racial bias in the case of Nima Momeni, a tech worker convicted of fatally stabbing Cash App founder Bob Lee.
» D.C. Circuit: A three-judge panel supported the EPA’s delayed 2027 deadline for steel mills to comply with stricter emission standards after industry groups argued they couldn’t meet the initial 2026 deadline due to national security and infrastructure needs.
» Court of Justice of the European Union: The EU’s top court backed Spain’s decision to drop terrorism-related prosecutions and financial liability claims tied to the Catalan independence movement as part of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s deal with separatist parties to remain in power after an inconclusive 2023 election.
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