Mistrial Declared in Quadruple Crash Death Case

Holdout juror causes mistrial

A judge declared a mistrial Tuesday in the case of a woman charged with killing four people as they drove home from Pala Casino.

Prosecutors allege that on Dec 14, 2007, Deanna Fridley, 26, plowed her GMC Yukon headfirst into a Toyota Camry while driving under the influence.

One juror, however, could not agree that all the others that Fridley was, in fact, behind the wheel of the SUV at the time of the crash.

On Friday, Jurors told Judge Runston Maino they were deadlocked 11-1 in favor of convicting Fridley. The judge ordered them to take the holiday weekend to see if they could break the deadlock. Prosecutors asked the judge to replace the holdout juror with an alternate, but Maino declined.

Maino will now work with attorneys on the case to decide the next step. Fridley's attorney James Boyd said a new trial could start in six to eight months. If convicted, his client could face four 15-year-to-life sentences.
 

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