Failure to Swear In Jury Threatens Convictions in 2004 Robbery

The Missouri Court of Appeals has sent to the State Supreme Court a case in which two St. Charles men were convicted of robbing a grocery store in 2004, but the judge in the case failed to swear-in the jury. 45-year-old Robert Davis of Hazelwood, and 46-year-old Paul Bainter of Silva had each been sentenced to two life sentences plus 512 years in prison for the robbery. St. Charles County Circuit Judge Lucy Rauch gave the long sentences because of the men’s long criminal records. The pair went to trial together in March of 2005. The appeals court says the judge swore-in the potential jurors before the examination of jurors began. The court’s record does not show the actual jury was sworn-in. The law says that the record must show the jury was sworn to try the case.