Juror Arrested, Mistrial Declared in Word of Faith Fellowship Minister's Assault Trial

WLOS
June 7, 2017

http://wlos.com/news/local/juror-arrested-mistrial-declared-in-word-of-faith-fellowship-minister-assault-trial

A juror was arrested and a mistrial declared in an assault trial involving a minister of Word of Faith Fellowship church.

Our reporter at the scene tells us the arrested jury foreman is 71-year-old Perry Shade.

The judge cited Shade's misbehavior and immediately held him in contempt on Tuesday. Shade is sentenced to 30 days in jail, and also received a $500 fine for bringing in unspecified outside materials.

Earlier on Tuesday, in a separate incident, a man was charged with harassing jurors deliberating in the trial of Brooke Covington. Chad Metcalf was brought before Superior Court Judge Gary Gavenus in handcuffs after he allegedly told jurors they needed to reach a verdict in the case.

Rhonda Johnson, who said she is Metcalf's mother, told The Associated Press in a message that her son was likely joking and should not be charged with a crime. The judge set Metcalf's bail at $100,000.

Covington, a longtime minister at Word of Faith Fellowship in Spindale, had faced up to two years in prison if convicted on charges of kidnapping and assaulting former member Matthew Fenner in January 2013.

The 58-year-old Covington was the first of five church members to face trial in the case. Each defendant will be tried separately.

Fenner, who is now 23, says he was slapped, punched, choked and screamed at for two hours as they tried to expel his "homosexual demons."