Hung Jury Leads to Mistrial in Former Seattle Coach's Rape Case

- The former volunteer coach is Walter Jones, who was facing four counts of child rape and a potential 23-year prison sentence if convicted. The mistrial was declared by King County Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan after five days of jury deliberations. - The allegations, which Jones' defense attorneys argued were fabricated, claim the abuse began in 2013 when the accuser was an eighth-grader practicing with the Garfield High School basketball team and continued throughout her high school years. The accuser, now 25, did not report the alleged rapes to the police until 2021. - This criminal trial follows a separate civil lawsuit filed by the accuser against Seattle Public Schools, which resulted in a $16 million settlement—the largest in the district's history. - The civil suit also named another coach, Marvin Hall, who was the accuser's boyfriend at one point and later pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor. The defense in Jones's criminal trial contended the accuser fabricated the story about Jones to prove to Hall that she wasn't lying. - Prior to volunteering at Garfield High School, Jones had a "Do Not Rehire" designation on his record with Seattle Public Schools from a 2008 incident at another school, yet was still permitted to volunteer. - Prosecutors from the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office have stated they will meet to decide whether to refile the charges and proceed with a new trial against Jones.