Deputy's Toilet Mishap Leads to Mistrial

An Ohio judge declared a mistrial after a deputy assigned to watch a defendant who was wearing a stun belt went to a restroom and accidentally dropped the belt's control device in a toilet, causing shocks to the defendant. Franklin County Sheriff's Office spokesman Marc Gofstein says that when the device started to dry off, defendant David Wade received intermittent minor shocks, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

The device is used to stun defendants if they become violent or try to flee. Gofstein says the shocks ended in less than a minute, and Wade was medically cleared. The judge declared a mistrial for the 40-year-old Columbus man. His trial will be rescheduled. Court records show Wade has pleaded not guilty to charges of promoting prostitution, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and drug possession, the AP reports. (More Ohio stories.)