Is Duniek Christian guilty or not guilty of felonious assault?

YOUNGSTOWN — After a trial lasting more than a week and jury deliberations of eight hours, participants in the felonious assault trial of Duniek Christian expected jurors to end it with either a guilty or innocent verdict.

Instead, they got what Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court called an unprecedented result: innocent on felonious assault but “undecided” on seven similar complicity to felonious assault charges.

The problem, Judge Evans said, is that the jurors should have informed him before returning a verdict that they had not decided on the complicity charges so that he could have sent them back to either continue to deliberate or declare a hung jury.

As it is, the result leaves it unclear whether Christian should be released from prison or kept there for a future trial, Judge Evans said late today.

For now, he stays in the Mahoning County Jail.

Judge Evans plans to have a hearing, possibly Friday, to decide the next step, he said.

For the complete story, see Thursday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.