A state appeals court has ordered a new trial for a man who was convicted of shooting a Washington State Patrol trooper at Long Beach.
In the decision Tuesday, the court said the Pierce County trial judge erred by selecting alternate jurors during a court recess instead of in open court.
The Daily News of Longview reported that Martin Arthur Jones of Seaview was convicted of attempted murder in 2011 for wounding Trooper Scott Johnson in the head. Johnson was in the process of impounding a car driven by Jones’ wife, who was suspected of drunken driving.
Jones was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Johnson recovered and was elected Pacific County sheriff.
