Court Disbands Jury in Capitol Arson Trial following Prosecution’s Request

Published: January 2, 2026

TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia — Criminal Court ‘A’ on Friday ordered the disbandment of the jury in the high-profile Capitol Building arson case, granting a prosecution motion that alleged juror misconduct and raised concerns about the integrity of the trial.

In a ruling from the bench, Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie said allowing the panel to remain empaneled risked compromising the proceedings. He directed that a fresh jury selection begin immediately to avoid undue delay in the case.

The prosecution’s motion stemmed from an exchange on Dec. 22, when a juror requested a replay of video footage recorded on Nov. 10, 2024. After the footage was replayed in open court, the juror questioned prosecution witness Reafel Wilson about whether a person seen in the video was one of the defendants, Thomas Etheridge.

During that exchange, the juror remarked that the individual in the footage appeared to be Chinese and asked whether the person shown and the defendant were the same. Prosecutors argued that the questioning—together with other inquiries during Wilson’s testimony—suggested jurors may have been consulting among themselves, warranting serious concern.

Defense lawyers sharply contested the allegation, calling it an attack on the jury’s integrity. During arguments on Monday, Dec. 29, they urged the court to deny the motion, insisting prosecutors presented no concrete evidence of misconduct or any violation of the court’s instructions.

The defense maintained that jurors are permitted to ask clarifying questions and that such engagement reflects attentiveness, not impropriety. Counsel described the prosecution’s claims as “false, misleading, and unsupported by evidence,” arguing that disagreement with juror questioning does not meet the legal threshold for the extraordinary remedy of disbanding a jury.

They further warned that portraying juror inquiry as misconduct risks undermining public confidence in the judicial process, emphasizing there was no showing that any juror had been influenced, intimidated, or interfered with.

After weighing the arguments, Judge Willie concluded that, notwithstanding the defense’s objections, the circumstances warranted starting anew to protect the fairness of the trial. He ordered the immediate commencement of a new jury selection process.