Car Accident: Cathedral City Man Convicted of Murder in DUI Crash to Get Possible Retrial

August 13, 2010

Riverside County - County Superior Court Judge David Downing has opened the possibility that the man convicted of second-degree murder in a 2009 drunken driving crash could get a new trial.

The announcement was made after the judge had allowed probe into whether a juror in the trial was in MADD.

Jason Pappas, 38, from Cathedral City, was convicted in April in connection with the death of his friend, Gregory Fisher, who died in the crash after a chase with police.

The possibility of retrial was opened after Deputy Public Defender Tom Steelman raised the issue of unfair trial when it was found that one juror had indicated she may have been in MADD and may have felt coerced by other jurors to vote guilty.

The judge said he will probably grant a new trial if the questioning showed that a juror was a member of MADD.

Another hearing on the matter was set for August 27.