Ross Harris trial: 2 questions arise in jury deliberations
Jury deliberations resume today in the Justin Ross Harris hot car murder trial.
The six-man, six-woman jury began last week to weigh evidence in the murder case that could put the former Home Depot web developer behind bars for the rest of his life. Harris is charged with intentionally leaving his 22-month-old son Cooper in a sweltering SUV to die on June 18, 2014.
» Read the AJC’s full trial coverage
Here are two questions the jury seems to be asking so far.
1. What do the videos show?
Early on in deliberations, the jury asked to review three videos from the day Cooper died: Harris’ interview with lead detective Phil Stoddard, his reunion with now ex-wife Leanna Taylor in a police interrogation room, and his return to his SUV at lunchtime, roughly three hours after leaving his son in the Hyundai Tucson.
“The third video, because it was so short, everyone was paying attention to see what it was,” Atlanta criminal defense attorney Esther Panitch said. “And it’s a very difficult video to analyze because it was taken from such a distance away from where Ross was in his car. So it’s interesting to see. It makes sense the jurors wanted to see what happened on that day.”
2. What does “wanton” mean?
Jurors asked the court to define “wanton,” which appears in the definition of criminal negligence — “an act or failure to act which demonstrates a willful, wanton, or reckless disregard for the safety of others who might reasonably be expected to be injured thereby,” according to Georgia law.
That means Harris knew his son could be hurt as a result of his actions, in this case, his serial sexting with online strangers. The judge declined to provide a definition.
Deliberations are scheduled to resume today at 8:30 a.m.
You follow trial developments at AJC.com and on Twitter at @AJCBreakdown. AJC reporters Christian Boone (@reporterJCB) and Bill Rankin (@ajccourts) will be in Brunswick for the duration of the trial.
Harris is also the subject of the second season of the AJC's podcast series "Breakdown," which will follow the trial's developments.
About the Authors
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
