Attorneys for Deshanon Haywood alleged misconduct during his trial by the Summit County Prosecutor’s office.
They said prosecutors withheld information they were required to give the defense that could have helped Haywood’s case. Two witnesses against Haywood made deals with the prosecutor’s office around the same time to resolve their own legal cases. Haywood’s defense attorneys said prosecutors failed to notify them of those agreements. They said the deals tainted the witnesses’ testimony.
"We believe that had this been disclosed and made known to the jury, the result may have been different in Mr. Haywood’s trial," said Brian Pierce, an attorney for Haywood.
The Summit County Prosecutor’s office released a statement saying it agreed to the new trial to avoid any appearance of impropriety, and to avoid appeals years down the line.
Derrick Brantley, already convicted in the case, is serving four life sentences for the drug-related killings.
Haywood’s new trial is set to begin in late April.