DENTON (1080 KRLD)- Denton County prosecutors say they will retry former Texas Ranger pitcher John Wetteland after Friday's mistrial.
Wetteland, a former closer for the Texas Rangers baseball club, is under indictment for three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. He has denied the accusation. The accuser is an adult now, but was a minor in the years 2004-2006 when police say the assaults happened in the Denton County town of Bartonville.
A Denton County trial lasted all of last week with the jury stuck at a vote of 10-2 to acquit. The State says it will move forward with a second trial. No date has been set.
Retrials can prove difficult for prosecutors, as defense witnesses now know the entirety of the State's case. But they can also be a learning tool for prosecutors who can understand where the weakness in their first case lies.
"There certainly are things you may have an opportunity to present in a different way, witnesses you may wish you had called that weren't available for some reason, or things as a prosecutor you can clarify to a jury to have them understand things a little bit better than you did the first time," said Eren Price, a former prosecutor who is not involved in the Wetteland case.
Wetteland, a three-time MLB All-Star, played for the Rangers from 1997 until his retirement in 2000. He is a World Series MVP and was the American Saves leader in 1996. Wetteland is a member of the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.
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