The full 11th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Thursday to hear a case involving a former Congresswoman’s conviction on fraud and a juror who was dismissed for saying he had received guidance from the Holy Spirit on the verdict.
Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown was convicted in 2017 on 18 counts of conspiracy, mail and wire fraud and tax charges. She appealed the case, saying the judge had improperly dismissed a male juror, Juror No. 13, who had said he received guidance from the Holy Spirit on the case.
A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit in January this year upheld her conviction in a 2-1 decision, but on Thursday the full 11th Circuit vacated that ruling and agreed to hear her case. Eleven judges serve on the court.
First Liberty Institute, a religious freedom legal organization, applauded the full 11th Circuit for taking the case.
“Dismissing a deliberating juror for believing prayer is effective denies the noble and civic duty to serve as a juror to hundreds of millions of Americans who seek divine guidance through prayer,” said Lea Patterson, counsel for First Liberty. “How is it possible that we demand a juror take an oath invoking God’s aid in rendering a verdict but then dismiss that same juror for taking that oath seriously? If this decision stands millions of Americans are disqualified from fulfilling their civic duty as jurors simply because…
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