Collins: exonerated on all charges
September 11, 2020
After a short jury deliberation Friday afternoon Lucas Collins was found not guilty on all criminal charges.
Collins was originally charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, a felony of the third degree, and wrongful entrustment of a motor vehicle, an unclassified misdemeanor, in September of 2019 relating to a fatal vehicle crash that occurred in April of 2019.
After a two-day trial in Muskingum County, jurors disagreed with prosecutors and voted unanimously to exonerate Collins of both charges.
Collins, who spent nearly the past six months in the Muskingum County Jail while awaiting trial, was seen embracing his family outside the courthouse late Friday afternoon.
This is a breaking news story and more information, including coverage of day-two of trial, will be posted at a later date.
- Be sure to check out: Collins trial: day one coverage
bob • Sep 24, 2020 at 1:57 pm
Always helpful to have a team of lawyers and money for your defense. Would the outcome be the same for a poor defendant with a overworked public defender? Two systems of justice hiding in plane sight as one.
ArizonaAvenger • Sep 14, 2020 at 1:57 pm
Jury nullification. It’s not very often that it happens, but when it does, it’s surprising.
TheHonestBlogger • Sep 12, 2020 at 7:52 am
Collins should count his blessings. What he did that wasn’t very smart. If you ask me, I think Collins will be back in court for something else.
That jury gave him a big break with the acquittal. He’d be better off if he left town. People are going to remember this for a long time. His friends and their families need time to heal. So does he. That’ll be hampered by his presence anywhere in the area.
That jury had to separate facts from feelings, and especially with a case like this, it’s not easy, but they got it right, which in this county, is extremely rare.