The judge declared a mistrial in court today for the man accused of killing his girlfriend, 20-year-old Nhat-Anh Tran, in 2006.
Judge Jennifer M. Davis was presiding over the case until she officially disqualified herself this morning on the grounds that she previously had worked in the public defender's office as an attorney. Davis said she was part of Loc Tran's defense.
"I've had this case for awhile," Davis said. "It had not occurred to me I had worked in the office that initially represented this case, so legally I have no choice but to disqualify myself."
Davis apologized to the jury and said she had worked as a supervisor with the attorneys defending the case. She said she didn't realize until she heard the witness testimony from Nhat-Anh's sister.
The case has been put on hold until further notice. Another judge will be presiding over the case and a later court date will be posted with a different jury.
This is the second time Tran's case has been rescheduled. The original hearing held last month was postponed after the prosecutor, Robin Wilkinson, was needed in a death penalty trial.
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