The coronavirus outbreak has done a number on the judicial system. Courts across the country have postponed hearings and trials. Even the Supreme Court has postponed oral arguments. But then there’s what happened in the murder trial of John Lee Cowell, 29.
A jury in Alameda County, California found Cowell guilty on Tuesday of murdering Nia Wilson, 18. The next step was for jurors to decide whether or not Cowell was sane. The thing is, they didn’t get to do that.
Judge Allan Hymer took the decision out of their hands, and reached the verdict himself. The defense complained about this development.
Defense attorney Christina Moore said she was “really disappointed” in the decision. “I’m aware of no legal authority that allows a judge to take this from jurors after three days of deliberations.”
— Megan Cassidy (@meganrcassidy) March 16, 2020
Cowell stabbed Wilson to death, and also tried to kill her sister in 2018 at a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station, authorities said. This wasn’t charged as a hate crime, but the victims’ family has argued that this was a racist attack. Wilson was black. Cowell, who is white, said he had been punched by a black woman the week before the incident, and the prosecutor asked if he was trying to pick a fight with another black woman after the stabbing, according to The Guardian.
All smiles and cheers from #NiaWilson’s family outside Alameda County courthouse in Oakland, where defendant John Cowell today was found GUILTY of her murder. pic.twitter.com/IuQFeNhmt4
— Megan Cassidy (@meganrcassidy) March 11, 2020
The defendant was also convicted of attempted murder in the stabbing of Wilson’s sister. Prosecutors said that Cowell followed them from the platform onto a train to another station, then attacked them when they were transferring to another train.
The defense tried to argue the suspect was not guilty by reason of insanity, and they attributed the act to mental illness. The trial case required verdicts from two phases: a guilty phase, and a sanity phase.
The defendant had allegedly said at one point that he wanted to appear crazy, however.
Sounds like deliberations are continuing today in the #NiaWilson murder trial. It’s the type of case that’s not affected by Alameda County court’s #COVID19 continuations but I’m also pretty sure some of the jurors are over 65.
— Megan Cassidy (@meganrcassidy) March 16, 2020
Cowell now faces a life sentence.
“Praise to the most high.” Letifah Wilson, older sister of slain teen Nia Wilson, tearfully thanked judge, prosecutor, jurors after judge found killer John Cowell sane today. Letifah, who was also stabbed but survived, said for two years she felt guilty for not saving sister. pic.twitter.com/JjUsNSlbxl
— Megan Cassidy (@meganrcassidy) March 16, 2020
[Mugshot via Alameda County Sheriff’s Office]
