Jurors in the second trial of Terry Thompson are getting the weekend off. Both the prosecution and defense presented closing arguments in his trial Friday and jurors started deliberations. They were released to go home after failing to reach a verdict, and will resume their efforts on Monday.
Thompson and his wife – former Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Chauna Thompson – were charged with the May, 2017 murder of John Hernandez outside a Crosby-area Denny’s restaurant. During the confrontation, Terry placed Hernandez in a choke hold that prosecutors say led to the man’s death two days later. Chauna is accused of helping to hold Hernandez down. The defendants claim an intoxicated Hernandez started the fight and they acted in self-defense.
A mistrial was declared after Terry’s first trial in June, when jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict despite 26-hours of deliberations. In that trial, 11 of the 12 jurors refused to convict him on a murder charge, and eight would not convict on even the lowest possible charge – criminally negligent homicide.
Chauna, who was fired from her law enforcement job after the incident, is scheduled to go on trial in early 2019.