U.S. Supreme Court ruling, requiring unanimous jury, causes re-trial for local cases

MEDFORD, Ore. — Many court cases in Oregon are being tried again, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in April that jury verdicts in state courts must be unanimous.
It’s the case for one Talent man.

66-year-old Robert Lee Chaffee went through a second bail hearing today, being charged with a felony offense from 2016.
He was previously convicted by a partial jury.

Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies said he drove over a Phoenix man, causing the victim to suffer from severe injuries to his face, legs and ribs.

Today, the defense requested a lower bail, however, no changes took place during this second hearing.

Chaffee’s bail remains at $250,000.
His re-trial begins October 1st.

The Supreme Court’s ruling will affect defendants whose appeals are still working their way through the courts.

For others, whose cases were resolved earlier, a new round of lawsuits would be required to determine if the decision would invalidate their convictions.

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