Orange County Court jury still deliberating in murder case
Oliver Mackson
Goshen - An Orange County Court jury today will resume deliberating the fate of James A. Harris Jr., of Middletown, who is accused of murder.
The jury spent a full day yesterday mulling over evidence against the 29-year-old, who's accused of helping drug lord James "Big Dog" Blagmon kidnap 46-year-old Franklin Fitts and beat him to death in September 2006. Fitts and Blagmon lived in the same apartment building on Prince Street in Middletown.
The jury yesterday heard several hours of readbacks of witness testimony. Jurors also asked Judge Robert Freehill to re-read the definition of murder by "depraved indifference" to life. Harris is charged with murder under three theories: that he intentionally killed Fitts, that he killed him by acting with depraved indifference to his life, and that he killed him during the course of kidnapping Fitts.
Blagmon was convicted during a separate trial and sentenced last month to 52 years to life in state prison.