@meghannmcuniff: A juror was dismissed from a murder trial in Florida on Tuesday after she told another juror the case seemed “like a no brainer.” Judge Nick Nazaretian questioned the woman in the courtroom without other jurors present before determining she should no longer serve on the jury that is hearing evidence against Robert Kessler, 74, who is accused of murdering and dismembering Stephanie Crone-Overholts, 47, in Tampa in November 2021. Another juror reported the comment in a note to the bailiff, who told the judge. The bailiff also reported the juror appeared to be sleeping. Judge Nazaretian, who presides in Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit, questioned both jurors. The judge asked the woman who appeared to be sleeping and reportedly made the “no brainer” comment if she’d expressed her views on the case then got more specific. “Is it possible that you may have told one of the jurors or more than one jurors that it’s a this case is a no brainer? Would that possible possible that you may have said that it’s a no brainer?” Nazaretian asked. The woman said “yeah” softly and Nazaretian said, “Okay, so, so the answer is yes. It’s possible that may have happened?” “Yes,” the woman said. The woman said the other juror “was already speaking on the matter,” so Kessler’s lawyer Maria Dunker asked her more about that, and she said the juror was talking about Kessler’s representation of himself, but not about guilt or innocence. Senior Assistant District Attorney Scott Harmon questioned whether the “no brainer” comment meant the juror couldn’t be impartial, so the judge questioned her again and she said she should be dismissed. #law #crime #court

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Wednesday 28 October 2026 15:07:20 GMT