PROVIDENCE -- The trial of seven Narragansett Indians charged after a state police raid on a tribal smoke-shop took place five years ago.
On Wednesday, the lone Narragansett convicted asked the Supreme Court to reverse his for simple assault and disorderly conduct convictions, arguing the Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl erred by not holding a hearing into allegations two jurors exhibited racial bias.
Hiawatha Brown asserted a male juror played a "tom tom" beat with a water bottle and a female juror referred to the defendants as "those people,"referring to Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas as "nothing."
"We are entitled to a hearing so at least we can ferret it out," William Devereaux argued.
Aaron Weisman countered for the state that McGuirl had carefully assessed the allegations and found nothing.