STAR-BULLETIN / APRIL 2005
Daniel Jones, shown here in District Court with his attorneys, Myron Takemoto, right, and Ken Shimozono, is accused of four counts of first-degree sexual assault and 14 counts of third-degree sexual assault.
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Jurors in sex assault case questioned
They are set to resume deliberations in the trial of a former dance instructor
Jurors in the trial of an Aiea dance instructor accused of sexually assaulting five students were questioned behind closed doors yesterday for about an hour.
But defense attorneys said the matter appears to be "90 percent resolved," and they believe the jury will resume deliberations this morning.
The jury of seven men and five women is entering its seventh day of deliberations in the Daniel Jones trial.
Jones, a former instructor at the Rosalie Woodson Dance Academy, is accused of four counts of first-degree sexual assault and 14 counts of third-degree sexual assault with the five female students, then ages 12 to 14, between August 2004 and March 2005.
Judge Virginia Crandall received a communication from the jury yesterday afternoon and called the prosecutor and defense attorneys into her chambers, said defense attorney Myron Takemoto. Jones was also present.
All 12 jurors were questioned individually during the hour-long proceeding, Takemoto said.
The defense attorney said he could not disclose details about the communication or what the jurors were asked because he did not want to affect the outcome of the case.
But he said he thinks the jurors want to resume deliberations and that he expects that to happen today.