Courthouse briefs
Jury deadlocked Fayette County Court jurors Thursday deadlocked on the fate of Timothy L. Johnson, who was on trial for allegedly having 1.7 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of a rental car he was driving.
State police saw Johnson, 36, of 3163 National Pike, Farmington, arguing with someone in the vehicle on March 4, 2003, and stopped to see what was going on. Since the car was rented to a friend and Johnson was not on the rental agreement, police asked his friend for permission to search the vehicle.
She agreed, and police reportedly found 813 grams of marijuana in a duffle bag in the trunk.
Johnson is charged with possession and possession with intent to deliver drugs. Prosecutors have the option of retrying the case.
His trial was being held before Judge Gerald R. Solomon.
Man acquitted
Fayette County jurors acquitted 57-year-old Gary Wallace of 708 Morrell St., Connellsville, of raping a then-12-year-old girl between Feb. 27, 2001, and March 30, 2001.
The girl told Connellsville police about the alleged contact on Feb. 5, 2003.
Wallace was found not guilty of rape, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and sexual assault in a trial before President Judge Conrad B. Capuzzi.
Man found guilty
After a Fayette County jury trial, a Smithfield man was convicted of driving with a .20 percent blood-alcohol level.
State police charged Lloyd Leroy Carter Jr. with incapable of safe driving and excessive blood-alcohol, alleging that he was driving along Route 119 in Georges Township on Feb. 17, 2004, turned onto a road and ran over the median. His blood-alcohol level was more than twice the state’s legal driving limit of .08 percent.
He will be sentenced later before Judge Steve P. Leskinen.
DVD conviction
Christopher Michael Swaney, 32, of Smithfield R.D. 2 was convicted of retail theft and receiving stolen property for stealing six movies from a Hollywood Video store in Connellsville.
Swaney took DVDs of “Snow Dogs,” “Scooby Doo,” “X-Men 1.5” and others from the store on Aug. 20, 2003. A clerk identified him from a surveillance video.
He will be sentenced later.
Man acquitted of threats
A Uniontown man was found not guilty of threatening three Uniontown police officers, but was convicted of disorderly conduct Thursday in Fayette County Court.
Russell Brooks, 56, of 119 S. Mount Vernon Ave. allegedly called the county’s 9-1-1 emergency line and told a dispatcher that he was going to get a gun and shoot officers Michael Garrow, Donald Gmitter and Jonathan Grabiak.
Police responded to his home on Feb. 23, 2004, around 4:30 p.m. to investigate a report of an abandoned vehicle. Brooks reportedly started yelling at police, and told 9-1-1 he thought police kidnapped his daughter.
Brooks will be sentenced later.