Inmate says jurors ‘need to pray’

Was calling them out by name a threat, or a faith-based wish?

Prosecutors say they caught a murder defendant on trial in Palm Beach County making a jail call that appeared threatening — he spelled out the names of all eight jurors and the two prosecutors and said, “The jurors need to pray on it.”

“There’s no appropriate reason to give out the names other than a nefarious purpose,” Assistant State Attorney Reid Scott told Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath, accusing Tavaress Alexander Wilson was plotting a way to influence the outcome of his trial.

But Wilson’s lawyers argue the call was being taken the wrong way.

“What we have is someone giving a list of names that are part of the public record, making no nefarious statements, making no threatening statements, making no statements at all about these names except for some statement with the words, ‘pray for it,’ ” Assistant Public Defender Maurissa Jones said.

“That could mean pray that these jurors make the right decision and find you not guilty,” she continued. “I will pray on these names in particular. People do that. Especially religious groups will pray for people all the time, without that person knowing about it.”

Prosecutor Scott countered that reasoning fails because Wilson, while speaking with an unknown associate, also included the prosecutors’ names

— and he certainly wasn’t asking for prayers on the prosecution’s behalf.

Giving all the names “absolutely indicates this was a calculated attempt by this defendant to influence this trial,” Scott said, noting Wilson made the call because he thinks he’ll be convicted. “It indicates a consciousness of guilt.”

Then the defense lawyer insisted that maybe Wilson just wanted prayers for the prosecutors to “do the right thing as well.”

Inmates are told all of their jail phone calls are recorded. Wilson used another inmate’s phone access code to make the call last week, but an agent said he determined it was Wilson.

Wilson participated in jury selection last week and had access to the names of those selected for the panel, as well as the names of Scott and fellow prosecutor Lauren Godden. Wilson’s lawyers pointed out that anyone in the public can obtain the jurors’ names.

None of the five men and three women on the jury reported to the judge Thursday that they had been approached or contacted by anyone concerning the case.

The murder charge itself is unusual in that Wilson, 29, is not accused of pulling the trigger.

He is charged in the death of a 23-year-old accomplice, who was shot by a homeowner during the burglary of a residence near Lantana on Aug. 13, 2015. Wilson also faces burglary, and animal cruelty charges linked to the death of the homeowner’s dogs.

The prosecutors now hope to turn Wilson’s words against him, by making the call evidence in the trial and help prove he is guilty of the second-degree felony murder with a firearm charge.

Wilson’s lawyers say the call shouldn’t be allowed to come into the trial because the words could easily be viewed as threatening.

“All it serves to do is scare the jurors, frighten them,” said Jones, with Assistant Public Defender Stephen Arbuzow. “It invites speculation … the jurors would very likely [see] the worst case scenario.”

Allowing prosecutors to question Wilson about the call and the “pray on it” remark would “imply a bad act that has not happened, and there is no evidence of,” Jones argued.

Judge Colbath listened to a portion of the call, with the jurors out of the courtroom. He said the call definitely will not be used in the trial if Wilson decides against testifying in his own defense.

But if Wilson chooses to take the witness stand, possibly today, Colbath said he’ll then determine whether prosecutors can bring it up.

MARC FREEMAN/STAFF Prosecutors say Tavaress Alexander Wilson named all eight jurors — as well as the prosecutors in his case — in a jail phone call and said they need to ‘pray on it.’