SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - A judge declared a mistrial in the case of a woman who tried to run over her estranged husband inside an office building lobby in 2006.
Judge William Barrett declared the mistrial after one of Brenda White's friends claimed that three jurors were discussing the case in an elevator Thursday evening.
Court spokeswoman Nancy Volmer said that the judge questioned the jurors under oath Friday morning and they denied it.
Volmer said the judge decided to call the mistrial and that a new trial could be set for next year.
Brenda White was accused of Attempted Murder and Criminal Mischief after police say she chased her husband into the lobby of an office building behind the wheel of an SUV on April 26, 2006.
The case has been in and out of court on appeals for the past 6 years as White's attorney argued their client was under extreme emotional distress at the time.
In court this week, White's attorneys argued that she was also taking large amounts of anxiety medication, including Xanax at the time of the incident.
When she took the stand Brenda White says she didn’t remember the details of the April 26th incident until she heard them in court.
“Sitting in the courtroom this past week it’s been more clear to me. Seeing all the evidence and witnesses up here saying what happened,” said White during her testimony.
Brenda’s estranged husband, Jon White, suffered a broken leg in the attack. Brenda’s attorneys argued she was suffering from extreme emotional distress and on the stand she said she was suffering from panic attacks over problems with her marriage.
“I was having panic attacks. I thought I had a heart problem. I thought I was having heart attacks,” said White. “I never had a panic attack before in my life.”
When asked if she had anger, White replied, “I had a lot of anger. I wanted to hurt myself. I wanted to hurt Jon.”
Later on the stand she said she never meant to hurt anyone that day, claiming she blacked out when she hit the gas and ran through the front doors of her husband’s workplace.
“I describe it as I blacked out or something took over my body,” said White. It was not me. Jon was my husband. He was my best friend, my lover. I did not want to hurt him or kill him.”
Attorneys from both sides are expected to have a scheduling conference on August 27th.
