Jurors were deliberating D.C. robbery case when they found something prosecutors missed
TheGrio...
Jurors discovered a white powder and Chinese yuan tucked inside clothing presented as evidence in the federal trial of Shamell Naquan Joyner.
A federal criminal trial in Washington, D.C., took an extraordinary turn when jurors discovered evidence hidden inside clothing that had already been collected and presented in court.
During deliberations in the monthlong trial of Shamell Naquan Joyner, a juror reached into a jacket that had been entered into evidence and found a white powdery substance inside a pocket. Jurors also discovered a Chinese yuan bill tucked into a sweatshirt.
The discovery appeared to catch everyone involved in the case off guard—including prosecutors, defense attorneys and law enforcement officials who had previously handled the evidence.
According to CNN, the clothing was significant to the government’s case against Joyner, who was accused of a series of armed robberies and carjackings in 2023. The items were recovered from a vehicle connected to the case but apparently had not been fully searched before being presented to the jury.
The presiding judge, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras, expressed his disbelief over the oversight.
“The Court shares Mr. Joyner’s amazement at law enforcement’s failure to uncover the Chinese Yuan, note, and powdery substance in the physical evidence,” Contreras wrote.
The judge questioned jurors individually after the discovery and instructed them that the newly found items were not part of the admitted evidence and should not influence their deliberations.
The jury ultimately convicted Joyner on 13 of 28 charges connected to five armed robberies and a carjacking. However, jurors were unable to reach unanimous decisions on the remaining 15 counts.
The case has prompted renewed scrutiny of how evidence is collected, cataloged and examined before it reaches a courtroom. The fact that jurors—not investigators or attorneys—were the ones to uncover the items has raised questions about the basic procedures used to handle physical evidence in the federal case.
Despite the unusual courtroom development, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the verdict will result in a mandatory minimum sentence of 31 years for Joyner.
“The jury’s verdict ensures the defendant will face a 31-year mandatory minimum sentence,” the spokesperson said.
Joyner’s attorneys have not yet filed an appeal, according to the report.