The jury wasn't swayed. After 8 tense days of deliberations that included a near mistrial, the controversial dismissal of a juror because of recorded jailhouse phone calls with, vitriolic argument, and eventual sequestration at a hotel, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty. But the story still wasn't over. Within days, three separate jurors would contact McCowen's defense attorney out of regret over the verdict and with allegations that the deliberations had been tainted by racial bias.

Assessing their claims would necessitate opening the door on the privacy typically afforded to the jury room. It would require a scientific analysis of the small talk of deliberation, an examination of just how consequential these alleged conversations were.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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