Teen Granted New Trial After Jurors Allege Problems With Guilty Verdict

KENOSHA, Wis. (WLIP) — A judge has ordered a new trial for a 16-year-old found guilty of second-degree sexual assault, citing a “miscarriage of justice” after multiple jurors reported being pressured into a guilty verdict.

Martel Lee, who was tried as an adult this summer for allegedly assaulting a classmate at Indian Trail High School in April, has been in prison since his spring arrest.

Court records reveal that one juror wrote to the judge after the verdict, saying she felt “bullied” into voting guilty.

The letter detailed how some jurors slept and locked themselves in bathrooms to avoid deliberations, while others who favored acquittal were told their colleagues would “make the decision for them so they could all go home.”

The prosecution’s case was further complicated by inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony, including multiple changes to key details and a brief recantation, according to the criminal complaint.

The next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.