CINCINNATI, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A woman in a felonious assault trial in Ohio went from juror to prosecution witness, court officials said.
"I was astonished," defense attorney Roger Bouchard said.
"I was shocked and surprised," Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Nelson said.
Common Pleas Court Judge Robert Ruehlman said from the bench he'd seen nothing like it in his 33 years as a prosecutor and judge after Najah Johnson-Riddle changed her status Tuesday in a Hamilton County jury trial, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Wednesday.
Johnson-Riddle was seated Monday to hear domestic violence and felonious assault charges against James Capell, 42, of Colerain Township.
Capell stands accused of entering the home of a woman, using his keys to beat her in the face before choking her and biting her ear; all this while imprisoning the woman in her bedroom and threatening to kill her if she cried out.
An unidentified neighbor called 911, but police, hearing nothing upon arrival, left. The victim was able to call a relative who contacted authorities, resulting in the arrest of Capell.
After jurors were seated Monday, the trial began Tuesday with prosecution and defense opening statements. Then juror No. 8, Johnson-Riddle, blurted out she couldn't sit on the jury because:
"She said, 'I was the (anonymous) person who made the 911 call'," Nelson said. "She said, 'It woke me up out of my bed and I saw him beating on her. I thought she must be dead.'"
A new trial began Wednesday with Johnson-Riddle to be called by prosecutors to testify against the man she was to sit in judgment, the newspaper said.
