NEWARK — In a 2012 trial in which two men were convicted of heroin possession, some of the most heated moments seemed to take place between the jurors.

One juror conducted his own research on the case, leading to an emotional argument in which another juror threatened to punch him in the nose, court documents show.

After the juror was dismissed for doing research, an alternate juror joined the panel and the reconstituted jury ultimately convicted the defendants, court documents state.

But a state appeals court on Friday ruled the guilty verdict was invalid and reversed the convictions against Kevin Lloyd and Christopher Cade, in part because such problems between jurors do not permit a substitution with an alternate juror.

Appellate judges also found that jury deliberations had advanced too far to permit the substitution, since the original jury announced it had reached a verdict on the charge against Lloyd and Cade before the juror was dismissed for conducting research. The appeals court indicated that a mistrial should have been declared.

“Although the jury had not revealed or returned its verdict….the jury's deliberations ‘had clearly progressed to the point at which jurors had reached final determinations on factual and legal issues, thus precluding meaningful deliberations by a reconstituted jury,’” the appellate decision states.

Lloyd, 44, and Cade, 47, both formerly of Newark, were accused of purchasing heroin near a public housing facility in Newark in November 2010, according to the appellate decision. They were each sentenced to three years in prison.

Lloyd is currently serving a life sentence for attempted murder for shooting another man in an unrelated case. In the case reviewed by the appeals court, Cade will be eligible for parole next month.

During their July 2012 trial, the original jury indicated it had reached a verdict on the charge against Lloyd and Cade, but it was deadlocked on the charges against their co-defendant, the decision states. The judge then instructed the jurors to resume their deliberations, the decision states.

Soon after, jurors informed the court that the juror had conducted his own research, the decision states.

Another juror said she would punch him in the nose, and threatened to report that he had told her he went on the internet and did research, the decision states. A heated argument between the two jurors had occurred in front of other jurors, the decision states.

But there was no disclosure or discussion of what, if anything, the juror had found in his research, the decision states.

The judge dismissed the juror who conducted the research, but the judge denied the defense attorneys’ request for a mistrial after finding that the remaining jurors had not been compromised and could resume deliberations with the alternate juror, the decision states.

The following day, the reconstituted jury convicted Lloyd and Cade, and said it was deadlocked on the charges against their co-defendant, the decision states.

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