Judge Declares Mistrial in Child Abuse Case Against Army Major, Wife

Despite 17 charges of child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child, and damning evidence from their own son, the trial has now ended for an Army Major and his wife after a prosecutor’s slip of the tongue.

According to nj.com, U.S. District Judge Katherine Hayden declared a mistrial Friday morning in the case of Army Major John Jackson and his wife, Carolyn, after a prosecutor briefly mentioned information in court Thursday that was not admissible per pretrial rulings.

That information was related to the death of one of the couple’s children, but was not allowed in court because the death was not related to any alleged abuse by the parents, a judge ruled earlier this year.

“I’m firmly convinced that the right to a fair trial has slipped away,” Hayden said Friday morning, nj.com reported.

The prosecutor, during questioning Thursday, referred to the deceased child by saying, “when he was alive,” the report said. That immediately drew a response from the defense, who told the judge the jury had now been tainted, the report said.

The couple was indicted on charges stemming from alleged abuse of three adopted children that occurred between 2005 and 2010 while the family was stationed at Picattiny Arsenal in Morris County.

The couple’s oldest biological son, 16, testified earlier this week that his mother would often hit an adopted son for not getting into car seats quickly enough, and two adopted daughters were forced to eat hot sauce and red pepper flakes. When the children were taken into protective services in 2010, they were allegedly malnourished and severely dehydrated.

The state plans to retry the case, the report said. No new date has been set.

If convicted, each of the parents would face up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 for each charge.