I must tell you; this was a very tough case. I am no stranger to Jury Duty. I am always one of the “lucky ones” to be afforded the opportunity to serve my community in this fashion. Whether the case was settled once the jury was picked, or deciding on a drug deal or felony possession of a firearm – all of those were life-changing for someone – but I was happy to serve. Not so much in this case.

From being initially selected on May 8, 2023, to the final mistrial due to a hung jury on May 16, 2023, this was just tough. The case involved a man named Michael Lawrence Pousson in Jefferson County, Texas. Mr. Pousson was accused of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child. And, after several days of witness testimony and evidence, the jury simply could not come to a unanimous decision.

The story was prominent on local internet news websites, local broadcast news, and was picked up nationally as well. Several of us on the jury, even those who voted differently than each other, vocalized to one another that the stress and sleepless nights this trial created were immense. Fortunately, prayer was able to play an important part in not only me coming to my own decision, but being at peace with the hung jury outcome.

It was refreshing to know that there are people out there, like the three ladies in the jury who chose a “not guilty” verdict, who will not bow to peer pressure. They simply were not convinced by the evidence and could not proclaim – beyond a reasonable doubt – that Mr. Pousson had committed the crimes he was accused of in this case. If I were on trial for a crime I was not guilty of, I would want people like these ladies on the jury.

Ultimately, where does the case go from here? I don’t know. Perhaps a new trial? Perhaps Mr. Pousson will simply be released. I don’t know.

What I do know is this, if Mr Pousson is indeed guilty, I encourage him to turn his life over to Jesus so that the demonic impulses inside him can be addressed and his repentance can result in others turning their lives over to the Lord. If Mr. Pousson is innocent, I encourage him to seek the Lord and utilize this awful experience to share the gospel with others. Either way, this situation has placed him in a position of notoriety and will eventually give him a platform – I hope he uses it for the glory of God.

Regarding the young girls who testified at the trial, you are in my prayers. I continually ask God to bring you healing and forgiveness and opportunities to help others who have been through situations like yours. I found each of you to be credible and charming and the epitome of what strong looks like. My hope is that you and your families have found (or will find) good churches in your area that can help foster your maturity and growth in a lifelong faith of serving Jesus as your King.

If you would like to see the trial and deliberations through my eyes, I invite you to watch my series of videos on the topic. Each evening I would come home and video myself going over my notes. After getting the okay from the judge after the mistrial was declared, I edited them and placed them on YouTube.