“We were heartbroken,” jurors release statement in wake of Gillum verdict

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A group of eight jurors released a statement Monday describing drama and division in the jury room during deliberations in the recent trial of Andrew Gillum and Sharon Lettman-Hicks.

The jury last week found Gillum not guilty of lying to the FBI, but was deadlocked on all the conspiracy and fraud charges.

The jurors’ statement indicates the majority favored acquitting Gillum and Lettman-Hicks on all charges.

“For Counts 2-19 our decisions were split 10-2 (not guilty/guilty) for Andrew Gillum,” the jurors wrote.

The letter - which was signed “Several Jurors” - said one member of the jury had already decided their verdict before deliberations began.

“Their mind was made up, and that they didn’t need to see any evidence because their mind would not change ... and it didn’t,” they wrote.

The jurors who released the statement said several jurors bounced back and forth on their decisions and would refer to the jury instructions and “then pull out evidence and continue to talk things through.”

“We were heartbroken to not be able to come to unanimous verdicts for the defendants, however, this did not occur due to lack of effort,” they wrote.

The eight jurors called the case “completely circumstantial” and said, “We firmly believe that the prosecutors should not move forward with this case.”

The jury also criticized a decision to allow a juror to remain on the jury after taking selfies and making posts on LinkedIn, calling it “not right or fair to the other members of the jury.”

Attorneys for Sharon Lettman-Hicks had asked for that juror to be removed, but Gillum’s attorneys and prosecutors on the case argued she should remain. The judge ultimately ruled the juror could move forward, saying there was no indication the comments on her social media posts tried to influence her decision-making.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook and Twitter.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Write us here.

Keep up with all the biggest headlines on the WCTV News app. Click here to download it now.

Copyright 2023 WCTV. All rights reserved.