The Texas Lawbook

Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury

How the Government’s Case Against Blue Bell’s Ex-CEO Melted

Ten members of a 12-person jury would have found the former CEO of Blue Bell not guilty of the felony fraud and conspiracy charges the government brought against him stemming from a 2015 deadly listeria outbreak linked to the company’s creameries.

A mistrial was declared on Monday in the prosecution of Paul Kruse after jurors who deliberated for four days after hearing a week of testimony failed to reach consensus. An expert in food safety litigation and Kruse’s defense attorney, Chris Flood of Flood & Flood, told The Texas Lawbook in recent interviews that prosecutorial overreach in charging Kruse was likely the cause of the mistrial.

Michelle Casady

Michelle Casady is based in Houston and covers litigation and appeals — including trials, breaking news and industry trends — for The Texas Lawbook.

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