Jurors in the trial of Arcata rancher Ray Christie completed a fifth full day of deliberations today without reaching a verdict.
The jury left the courthouse about 4 p.m. and is expected to start a sixth day of discussions Thursday. They are pondering whether to acquit or convict Christie on 38 misdemeanor counts of leaving cow carcasses within 150 feet of state waters and four felony counts of animal cruelty.
Christie and his attorney John Cogorno, along with two reporters, spent another day watching the clock and waiting.
At one point the jury sent a note to Judge Christopher Wilson, letting him know that one juror has been typing out her thoughts on the case and bringing the notes to deliberations. Also, another juror received a text message from a family member who sent his or her good wishes to the entire jury.
“This has not affected our decision-making,” the note said, but the jurors wanted to be transparent and let the judge know what was going on.
Both prosecutors in the case, Deputy District Attorneys Adrian Kamada and David Moutrie, are ill from a virus that has also struck others in the DA’s office. This afternoon Kamada, who has been out for two days and looks like death warmed over, came in to relieve Moutrie.
“At this point he’s worse off than I am,” Kamada said.
All of the jurors appear to be healthy and in good spirits.