The trial of Rashuan Jones, a former UM football player accused of murdering his teammate, Bryan Pata, is set to be re-tried on May 18, 2026.
Judge Christina Miranda declared a mistrial on Monday, March 2, after jurors were deadlocked, meaning they could not come to a consensus. She wanted to set a sooner trial date as Jones has had to “sit and wait in jail” since 2021.
According to Florida law, if a mistrial is declared, the person “shall be brought to trial within 90 days from the date of declaration of the mistrial.” This means the re-trial must take place before May 31, 2026.
According to The Miami Herald, Jones’ bond was lowered from $850,000 to $500,000, although Pata’s attorney Sara Alvarez argued for a $50,000 bond.
The judge refused, claiming this to be unheard of in a murder trial, and Alvarez argued that because of Jones and his family’s financial situation, he realistically has no bond.
“He hasn’t been able to afford that and will never be able to afford that,” said Alvarez.
The article also stated that one juror told ESPN that 5 out of 6 were going to acquit Jones and only one wanted to convict him, as they did not believe the prosecution proved Jones’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
An NBC South Miami article stated that Jones shared he would not accept any form of a plea deal moving forward.