Judges Declare Mistrials in Georgia, Florida Murder Trials Involving Mothers

Two high-profile murder trials ended in mistrials this week due to judicial rulings involving jury deadlock and prosecutorial misconduct. In Georgia, a judge declared a mistrial in the case against Ben Whitaker, a nurse accused of killing his wife shortly after their wedding, after the jury deadlocked 11-1 and indicated no further deliberation would help. Meanwhile, in Florida, the trial of Erica Dotson, accused of murdering her 3-year-old son, was halted when the judge found that prosecutors had willfully withheld a critical interview with Dotson’s boyfriend, co-defendant Joshua Manns. Dotson’s trial had been proceeding for two weeks, but the nondisclosure of evidence led to the mistrial declaration just before closing arguments. Dotson faces charges including first-degree murder and child abuse and could face the death penalty if convicted; her defense maintains that she was unaware of the abuse, which they attribute primarily to Manns. Both cases will have to be retried, prolonging the legal proceedings and leaving families awaiting closure.