A Hamilton County jury did not reach a verdict in six hours on day one of their deliberations. They will continue on Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. The panel of twelve jurors has to be unanimous in their decision, or they are considered a “hung jury,” which results in a mistrial.
In the case of a mistrial, prosecutors can choose to retry the case with a new jury.
The jury will decide if Rodney Hinton Jr. intentionally killed a Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy, was legally insane at the time, or committed a lesser offense. On May 2nd, 2025, Hinton hit and killed Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy Larry Henderson with his car. The day before, he watched his son killed by police on body camera video.
Jurors heard about two weeks of testimony; they visited the crash scene, heard from witnesses and psychological experts. Prosecutors say it was not an accident and Hinton was seeking revenge for his son’s death. The defense says Hinton was instead aiming for a nearby utility pole, trying to end his own life.
On Thursday, we are expecting clues as to when deliberations could wrap up. Attorney and Retired Judge Fanon Rucker explained feedback or lack thereof from the jury could show us where they are at in deliberations.
Once a jury receives instructions from the judge, they take to the deliberation room. While they are back there, they comb through instructions, then look at the evidence they are allowed to take back. They are advised to engage in jury conversation and avoid making decisions too quickly. They may ask questions, Rucker explained: “They might say, ‘Wait a minute, maybe the judge needs to explain to us, what exactly is proof beyond a reasonable doubt?’”
