There was no proof that Banton possessed a gun or was aware that a co-defendant did, but because of the Pinkerton rule, Banton was convicted of a weapons offense. Moody tossed the gun charge, but an appeals court reversed that decision.
Wright said she told Sweeney that she had been a juror seven times before serving on Banton's case, but she did not volunteer that information to prosecutors or Banton's attorneys "because that wasn't a question" during jury selection.
Moody called a sampling of three other jurors to ask if they remembered hearing other jury members talk about doing outside research. Two testified that had not heard anything, but one said she recalled a white female juror saying she had researched the Pinkerton law. Wright is black.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James Preston said Banton's defense had not met the legal requirement for a mistrial by showing that the jury was exposed to outside evidence that posed a reasonable possibility of prejudice to the defendant.
Defense lawyer Chokwe Lumumba said jurors were ready to acquit Banton, whose real name is Mark Myrie, before Wright shared her research.
Banton is popular in his native Jamaica and won a Grammy for his last album before his drug conviction.
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