Mistrial Declared In Rape Proceedings

A jury trying to decide the fate of a Post Falls man charged with seducing his friend’s 14-year-old daughter said Wednesday it was unable to reach a verdict.

Judge Gary Haman declared a mistrial in Robert Thomas’ case and gave prosecutors 30 days to decide if they will retry him. Thomas, 32, is charged with rape and lewd conduct with a minor.

Thomas took the stand during his five-day trial to declare his innocence. He told jurors he is the victim of a string of lies that spun out of control.

The alleged rape victim, now 15, testified that she willingly had sex with Thomas 13 times early last summer. Her friend, 14 at the time, said she watched them on one occasion. She also accused Thomas of molesting her.

The jury deliberated for 13 hours before deciding it was deadlocked. The were split eight to four in favor of a guilty verdict on both charges, Haman said. , DataTimes