Judge Orders Jurors Back Amid Allegations of Misconduct in High-Profile "Black Swan" Case

In a surprising turn of events, jurors from the "Black Swan" case have been ordered to return to court a month after delivering a guilty verdict in the trial of Ashley Benefield, a former ballerina accused of killing her husband. The order follows allegations of jury misconduct, prompting further investigation into the integrity of the verdict.

During a hearing on Monday, defense lawyers Neil Taylor and William Ponnal presented evidence suggesting that a juror may have had inappropriate contact with an outside party. According to their claims, an individual identified as "That Hoodie Guy" posted online during the trial, alleging inside knowledge that the jury was deadlocked 5-1. The poster reportedly claimed this information came from a juror who had accessed a flip phone slipped into the jury room. This, they argued, could have influenced the deliberation process.

Prosecutors pushed back, arguing that the alleged inside information could have come from court staff or reporters, as the trial was streamed online. They contended there was no reason to question the panel’s integrity based on these unverified claims.

Additionally, the defense raised concerns about a second juror who had previous involvement in the court system for domestic violence, something they had not disclosed on their pre-trial questionnaire. This, they argued, might have introduced bias into the case.

Judge Matt Whyte ruled that there was enough evidence to justify questioning the jurors. He has instructed both the prosecution and defense to submit written questions, which he will ask the jurors in individual, closed-door sessions during a two-hour period.

Ashley Benefield, convicted of manslaughter in the 2020 death of her husband Doug, faces up to 30 years in prison. She has maintained that she acted in self-defense. The prosecution, however, argued that Benefield killed her husband to prevent him from having a role in raising their daughter. With sentencing scheduled for October, the defense is pushing for a new trial in light of the recent allegations.