The judge in the Jeffrey Martinson murder case told the attorneys at a hearing this morning that she will issue rulings on critical defense motions in a few days.
Martinson's defense team has filed a motion for a new trial based on, among other reasons, alleged juror misconduct (here's our extended story on that piece of the puzzle), and because of a recent appellate decision we wrote about just the other day in Valley Fever.
A jury convicted Martinson of murdering his 5-year-old son Josh back in 2004 by administering an overdose of Soma at his Ahwatukee apartment.
Three of the Martinson trial jurors attending this morning's hearing, interested in what's going to happen in this tragic and increasingly controversial case.
One of those jurors, alternate Carlos Amaro, took time off from his job with the city's Parks and Recreation Department to listen in. He said he's still upset he didn't get to sit in the deliberations, and told us that he wouldn't have voted to convict Martinson on anything except a far-lesser charge than first-degree felony murder and child abuse.
We will do a blog on Judge Duncan's ruling, which promises to be quite interesting, no matter what she does.
