KENOSHA — Martel Lee, 16, was found guilty of second-degree sexual assault, but before sentencing, three jurors sent letters to the judge expressing concerns about the conviction. After being tried as an adult and spending more than six months in jail, he is finally back with his family.
In August, Lee was convicted of second-degree sexual assault. However, after three jurors came forward expressing doubts about the conviction, a Kenosha County judge declared a mistrial, saying there had been a "miscarriage of justice."
On Tuesday, the judge ordered that Lee be released on a $10,000 signature bond. A few hours later, he was back with his family.
Watch: Kenosha teen released as juror doubts spark mistrial, reunites with family
"I'm gonna take him home, let him get himself cleaned up, get him a meal, and enjoy this holiday with my son," Jenifer Jones, Martel Lee's mother, said. "I'm so, so happy. It's been a long eight months, and my boy is finally home."
Last month, a juror wrote a letter to the judge saying she felt "bullied" into giving a guilty verdict. She also stated that some jurors who were leaning toward a not guilty verdict were coerced into changing their vote by those in favor of convicting Lee. According to court documents, one juror said they "would make the decision for them" so they could "all go home."
This comes after court records showed that the victim changed details of the incident multiple times and briefly recanted.
Now, Lee's family is happy that he’s back home and will be getting a new trial.
"All the people that had his back, everybody that believed that he is innocent, he's got an army behind him right now," Jones said. "I'm grateful for everybody that stood behind my boy."
As Lee signed the signature bond, the reunion outside the jail quickly moved to his home, where family, friends, and community members welcomed him back for the holidays and looked forward to the new trial.
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