State v. Owen
After three days of deadlocked deliberation, the twenty-two-year-old Owen was found guilty on all counts—Judge Case sentenced her to between nine and fifteen years in prison for perjury. Though the content of the perjury charges against Paul Bonacci was similar to those levied against Owen, his perjury charges were immediately dropped upon Owen’s conviction.
After Alisha Owen’s trial, a number of the jurors submitted affidavits concerning various “improprieties” throughout their deliberations. As they deliberated Owen’s fate, a number of jurors confessed to watching a segment of 48 Hours hosted by Dan Rather. Juror affidavits acknowledged that Wadman’s appearance was a “main topic” of discussion in the jury room. One of the jurors submitted an affidavit conceding that the 48 Hours segment played a significant role in sealing Owen’s fate
