TYLER, Texas — The defense team of East Texas nurse and serial killer William George Davis is prohibited from contacting jurors without permission after the court received several reports of "harassment" against members of the 2021 jury.
During a status hearing in the 114th District Court Thursday, Judge Austin Reeve Jackson said the court received calls from jurors in Davis' trial saying members of his defense team would refuse to accept no for an answer.
Davis was sentenced to death in October 2021 for killing four patients while working as a nurse at the Christus Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital by injecting air into the patients' arterial systems. He is currently appealing his death sentence.
Jackson said contacting jurors has to be done in accordance with the law and done in the bounds of decency. He said jurors were contacted early in the morning and late at night. Some had their former and current employers contacted and even the elderly parents of a juror who are in an assisted living facility were reportedly harassed.
"It frankly shocks the conscience of the court," Jackson added.
He said the behavior is "totally inappropriate" and conduct that the court is not going to tolerate.
After sharing these reports, Jackson read an order saying no member of the defense team will be allowed to contact a juror without approval from the court. A violation of this order could result someone serving 180 days in jail.
Earlier Thursday, the state made motion detailing the reports of alleged juror harassment.
A member of the defense said in court she wasn't aware of these facts until the state's latest filing. She asked for an opportunity to respond.
Jackson then told the defense that Thursday's status hearing was made because of jurors contacting the court directly about feeling harassed, not in response to the state's motion.
"... I think objectively what they (jurors) have said crosses the line," Jackson said.
He said the order for the defense to stop contact with jurors without the court's permission will go into effect. However, it only looks ahead and there will be no punishments for prior incidents.
Jackson said amendments to change the order could be requested from the defense, but the order will remain.
The state then decided to withdraw their motion, which is separate from the court order.
BACKGROUND:
Davis was found to be responsible for the 2017 and 2018 deaths of John Lafferty, Ronald Clark, Christopher Greenaway and Joseph Kalina.
Following his conviction, prosecutors also presented evidence that Davis may have killed patients Perry Frank, James Sanders and James Blanks. He was also accused of attempting to kill Gary Parker, Pamela Henderson, Rickie Glenn, James Wages and Jesus Serrano.
During the sentencing phase of the trial, a recorded phone call from the Smith County Jail was played in which Davis told his ex-wife that he would find ways to prolong ICU patients’ stays at the Tyler hospital where he worked.
He told her he did this to work more hours and get more money with his family’s financial situation. Davis also told his ex-wife that he accidentally caused the deaths of the patients.