COLDSPRING, TX – The judge had no choice but to declare a mistrial after jurors couldn’t agree whether San Jacinto County Judge Bill Law illegally stored pornographic images on his office laptop.Jurors deliberated for six hours on Friday, until 11 p.m. when the judge dismissed them with instructions to resume on Monday. After three more hours of deliberation, the jury informed Visiting Judge Barbara Hale that they could not reach a unanimous verdict on the charges.

During their deliberation yesterday, the jury requested the court reporter read back some defense testimony that Law was elsewhere on several of the occasions when the computer was used to access the adult websites.

Witnesses for the defense also stated that Law’s laptop was easily accessible by others in the office, suggesting that someone else may have planted the material on his computer.

Prosecutors had evidence that pointed to Law using the screen name “notsowild2001” who had visited adult websites and engaged in graphic online chats, also soliciting dates.

According to Juror Lori O’Brate, the jury were able to quickly reach the decision on Friday to acquit Law of the Class A misdemeanor charge for breach of computer security. One juror wanted to convict Law on the second charge, a lesser misdemeanor, and the remaining jurors were unable to change his mind.

“Today many of us felt like the prosecution did not prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt,” O’Brate said.

Both prosecuting and defense lawyers expect the case to be re-tried, but no date has been set for a new trial.