A Pennsylvania state trooper who was found guilty of felony homicide by vehicle in connection with a February 2023 crash in Tioga County that killed a Troy woman may get a new trial after an appeals court overturned his conviction.
But the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, which prosecuted the case, is asking the state Supreme Court to overrule the appellate court decision.
The legal battle stems from the case of Michael J. Brown, who was a trooper assigned to the Pennsylvania State Police Mansfield barracks.
The charges against Brown resulted from a Feb. 11, 2023 crash on U.S. Route 6 in Sullivan Township that killed 47-year-old Christine Woodward, a popular elementary school teacher in the Troy Area School District.
What happened Feb. 11, 2023?
An investigation into the fiery crash indicated Brown, who was reportedly off duty but on his way to work at the time, attempted to pass a vehicle illegally across the double yellow lines on Route 6 around 10:48 p.m. at the intersection of Aumick and Ritz roads, state police said.
As a result, Brown’s Jeep Grand Cherokee struck an oncoming GMC Acadia operated by Woodward head-on.
Following the collision, Woodward’s vehicle caught fire. Brown unsuccessfully attempted to pull her from the car, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Woodward was a teacher in the Troy Area School District for nearly 15 years and worked as an elementary teacher at East Troy, WR Croman and Intermediate schools, according to the district.
In June 2024, a Tioga County jury found Brown guilty of homicide by vehicle after a weeklong trial, and he was later sentenced to a minimum of six months and a maximum of 23 months in state prison.
Why the state Superior Court overturned the conviction
Brown’s attorneys filed an appeal of the conviction, claiming the verdict was tainted because several of the jurors weren’t properly vetted during the selection process.
In February, the Superior Court agreed, specifically citing one instance where a juror failed to report he had three children, which could have led to perceived prejudice against Brown because he might have sympathized more with Woodward, who also had three children.
Had Brown known in advance the prospective juror in question had three children of his own, he could have asked that person not be chosen to sit on the jury, the court determined.
“The evidence at trial established that Woodward, a mother of three children, died a horrific death, as she was conscious after the collision and screamed for help as the vehicle burned,” the court ruling stated.
“An ‘intelligent’ use of peremptory strikes would extend to potentially striking jurors who have young children and would naturally sympathize with the victim,” the decision stated. “Therefore, under the facts of this case, the incorrect answer prevented an intelligent use of peremptory strikes and this constituted prejudice requiring a new trial.”
Why the Attorney General’s Office is appealing the Superior Court ruling
In its appeal to the state Supreme Court, which was filed last week, the state Attorney General’s Office argued the Superior Court’s reasoning could create a dangerous precedent for future jury trial proceedings.
The appelate court’s concept of prejudice, and its statement that Brown “may well have” struck that juror had he known the juror had three children, is so abstract as to empty the term of all meaning, the Attorney General’s Office argued.
“‘May well have’ is simply the equivalent of ‘may not have.’ Defendant did not show, and the Superior Court did not find, that he was striking every potential juror with children, or a particular number of children,” lawyers for the Attorney General’s Office wrote in their appeal.
“There is no reason to suppose that the verdict might have been different had Juror 99 been replaced with someone else,” the argument stated. “While defendant ‘may’ have struck Juror 99 had he known more about him, the same speculation could be applied to any juror. Such speculative prejudice is not prejudice at all.”
The Attorney General’s Office also argued the Superior Court’s ruling creates a powerful incentive for criminaldefendants to intensively investigate the private lives of jurors after a guilty verdict.
“Deleterious consequences to the system of trial by jury are inevitable,” attorneys argued in their appeal.
The case now goes to the state’s highest court for its review.
To read the full Superior Court decision, click here.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Trooper convicted in crash that killed Troy teacher may get new trial
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
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