Reporter's Photo Causes Mistrial In Austin Tabor Drug Murder Case

TOPEKA, Kan. -- A Kansas judge declared a mistrial in a murder trial Wednesday after a newspaper reporter tweeted a photo that included the grainy profile of a juror.

The Shawnee County district attorney's office said it plans to reschedule Austin Tabor's trial for June or July after the abrupt halt to proceedings in Topeka one day after attorneys presented opening statements.

"One of the photos apparently showed one or more of the jurors," said Lee McGowan, spokesman for the district attorney's office. "It was brought to the court's attention and ultimately a mistrial was declared."

McGowan said the judge had agreed to allow camera phones in the courtroom, but said no photos were to be taken of jurors. That corresponds with rules established by the Kansas Supreme Court for cameras in courtrooms, including that individual jurors are not to be photographed.        More