Jury convicts Johnson of sexual abuse

SANDPOINT — A Bonner County jury convicted a North Idaho man of sexual abuse of a minor, but deadlocked on three additional counts of lewd and lascivious conduct on Monday.

Jurors deciding the case against Ernest Johnson III advised 1st District Judge Barbara Buchanan at about 2:30 p.m. that they had reached an insurmountable impasse on the remaining counts.

“Further discussion would be of no use,” the jurors’ note said, according to Buchanan.

Buchanan polled each member of the panel — seven men and five women — to confirm they were hopelessly deadlocked.

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