Ex-Ohio deputy Jason Meade case ends in mistrial, second trial likely in death of Black man

A courtroom packed with onlookers in the murder trial of former Franklin County Sheriff's deputy Jason Meade appeared exhausted and frustrated as an emotionally charged three weeks ended Friday in a mistrial.

The galley in Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge David Young's seventh-floor courtroom remained stoic as Young told the room the jury could not reach a consensus on whether Meade committed a crime in the December 2020 shooting death of 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr.

Meade, 45, still faces two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide and the possibility of a second trial.

While special prosecutors have not officially determined that they will retry Meade, a second trial is not without precedent. Former Columbus police officer Andrew Mitchell underwent two trials before a jury acquitted him of murder and voluntary manslaughter in the August 2018 shooting death of 23-year-old Donna Dalton Castleberry.

Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack's office issued a statement after the trial ended, saying its thoughts are with Goodson's family.

Learn more: What is the meaning of mistrial? What the hung jury means for Jason Meade

"A decision to retry the case will be made by the special prosecutors after they have reviewed their case," the statement read.

After Young decided to end the case, Goodson's family and special prosecutors Tim Merkle, Gary Shroyer and Montgomery County Assistant Prosecutor Josh Shaw left without comment.

Attorney Sean Walton, representing Goodson's mother, Tamala Payne, in a federal civil lawsuit against Meade and the Franklin County Sheriff's office, said after Young's decision that the family will now have to wait longer for justice. He said Payne and her supporters are ready to return to trial "next week if need be."

What did Jason Meade say on the stand?: Former deputy Jason Meade testifies in murder trial: 'I thought he was going to shoot me'

Payne left the courthouse visibly upset, followed by her family and supporters, without speaking to the media.

"What we see is there's a much higher burden to convict an officer in court, but there's a lower threshold to take a life in the street," Walton said. "That’s the struggle here. There’s a lot of deference given to officers."

Walton emphasized that Meade was not acquitted and there must have been jurors who wanted to find him guilty.

Mark Collins, Meade’s lead attorney, said Friday's decision is part of the process, and they’re prepared to go to trial again if the special prosecutors decide to do so.

"I’ve gone through this before and had a retrial on a police case, and as Yogi Berra said, 'It's dejá vu all over again,'" Collins, who also represented Mitchell, said.

Collins thanked the jurors for their effort in the case, noting the troubled looks on their faces when they came into the courtroom.

Jason Meade trial ends on an unusual note

Meade's first trial was full of events rarely seen in criminal courtrooms, including a last-minute witness who came forward after watching portions of the case online and was allowed to testify, jurors having to restart deliberations multiple times because alternates had to be substituted onto the panel and a mistrial declaration Friday morning getting rescinded and reversed.

Collins and Walton both said they had never seen a judge declare a mistrial and then set that aside.

The trial began Jan. 31, and the jury heard from more than 20 witnesses over two weeks, including Meade himself. The original jury consisted of eight women and four men who began deliberating around 1:25 p.m. Wednesday after attorneys finished their closing arguments.

On Wednesday afternoon, Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, the jury was forced to restart their deliberations after alternate jurors were substituted onto the panel. The final jury panel consisted of nine women and three men.

The judge did not disclose why the jurors left amid deliberations.

Late Friday morning, Young received a note from the jury indicating they had reached a potential verdict on two of the three counts Meade faced but not the other. Young initially declared a mistrial, which would have ended the proceedings. Minutes later, he returned to the bench, said he was rescinding the mistrial and ordered jurors to continue deliberating.

At 1:34 p.m. Friday, the jury indicated it had another question, which prompted Young to bring them into the courtroom and urged them, once again, to continue deliberating. By 2:05 p.m. Friday, after jurors once again said they could not reach a verdict, Young dismissed them from their service and declared a mistrial.

During the deliberations, the jury had asked several questions indicating they were having difficulty reaching a verdict.

Protest and reaction

About 25 people gathered at Mound and High streets just after 6 p.m. Friday to protest the mistrial.

Using bull horns and holding signs, they chanted "Justice for Casey" and "Convict Jason Meade."

Several in the group blamed the snowfall and poor weather Friday on the small turnout.

Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin said in a statement posted on social media Friday that the decision to declare a mistrial was a "frustrating delay."

Columbus City Council does not have jurisdiction over the sheriff's office, but the shooting took place within city limits on Estates Place in the city's North Linden neighborhood.

"We understand that this case is difficult, but for this community to heal those involved in the court system must move forward with all possible speed for a new trial," Hardin wrote.

Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, who is unopposed for reelection on the March primary ballot, issued a statement Friday saying he could not comment on the mistrial due to the ongoing civil litigation, but adding that he respected the legal process.

Franklin County Commissioners Erica Crawley, Kevin Boyce and John O'Grady also issued a statement after Friday's decision, calling for "constructive and peaceful discourse."

"The Franklin County Board of Commissioners is committed to working with our partners in local government and throughout the community as we work toward bringing our residents together in light of today's announcement. It is important that all voices are heard in a constructive and peaceful discourse," the statement said, adding that the commissioners' thoughts are with the Goodson family.

Brian Toth, vice president of the Capital City Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, on Saturday released a statement saying this was a difficult case that hurt the Goodson family and Meade. While the mistrial was not the desired result, he said he hoped it was the end of the legal case.

"We remain confident that Deputy Meade's actions were 'objectively reasonable' under the Graham v. Connor standard and were therefore lawful," he said in the statement. "We now wait to see if the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office decides to refile this case. It is our sincere hope that it has learned from the past and determines not to."

There has been a push from Goodson's family and the community for justice in the case since immediately after the shooting took place.

The sheriff's office did not have body cameras at the time of the shooting, so Meade was not wearing one shortly after noon on Dec. 4, 2020, when he shot Goodson at the side door of the Estates Place home of Goodson's grandmother.

Meade, a sheriff's SWAT deputy, had been working as part of a U.S. Marshal's fugitive apprehension task force that day. The team had been unsuccessful in their search for a fugitive who had no connection to Goodson.

After the team had ended the operation for the day, Meade left the area toward the intersection of Karl and Ferris roads. Goodson, in his grandmother's Nissan sedan, and Meade, in an unmarked pickup truck equipped with emergency lights, crossed paths at that intersection.

Meade testified he saw Goodson waving a gun and pointing it toward the windshield, prompting Meade to follow Goodson onto Estates Place. He testified he gave verbal commands to Goodson to drop his gun and show his hands, but said that Goodson didn't comply.

Meade fired six rounds from his sheriff's office-issued rifle, which he testified was set to fully automatic mode. A single trigger pull resulted in the firing of six shots. All six struck Goodson, one in his side and five in his back, according to an autopsy from the Franklin County Coroner's office.

Photos and other evidence presented at trial show Goodson was wearing earbuds that could have been playing music when Meade gave his orders and opened fire.

Meade testified he had no other choice but to shoot when Goodson turned slightly and pointed a gun at him for a second time while standing on the threshold. According to an autopsy done by the Franklin County Coroner's office, Meade shot Goodson five times in the back and once in the side.

"I thought he was going to shoot me," Meade said. "I’m thinking, 'I don’t want to die.'"

Special prosecutors and Goodson’s family insisted Goodson’s gun was holstered and he was going into his home carrying a bag of Subway sandwiches after a dentist's appointment. A late witness in the case, an HVAC repairman who testified earlier this week, said he saw Goodson driving shortly before the shooting and did not see a gun in his hands.

After the shooting, Payne and community activists marched in the streets, demanding justice for Goodson. Social media campaigns have called for Meade to be convicted and various protests like the one Friday evening have been held over the course of the more than three years.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jason Meade trial: Mistrial declared in deputy's killing of Black man