UPDATE | Sweeney declares mistrial in Seman case

YOUNGSTOWN — Judge Maureen Sweeney today in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court has ordered a mistrial in the Robert Seman capital murder case and agreed to dismiss the jury pool.

However she has ruled against defense motions to change the venue of the trial, saying that doing that is premature.

A new jury will be picked at later date.

Earlier, defense attorneys said at least one juror was discussing the case with other jurors when they reported for jury duty in the case last week. Attorneys for Seman, 47, of Green, asked Sweeney to disqualify the jury and move the trial out of Mahoning County.

Seman could face the death penalty if convicted of the March 30, 2015, deaths of Corinne Gump, 10 and her grandparents, William and Judith Schmidt, during an arson at their Powers Way home the day Seman was to go on trial for raping the girl.