Appeals court reverses conviction of Halfmoon man in 2020 rape and kidnapping, orders new trial

An appeals court has overturned the conviction of a former Halfmoon man who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the kidnapping and rape of a Halfmoon woman in 2020 on the grounds that jurors were allowed to remain anonymous.

John C. Heidrich, 66, was arrested in March 2020 after an incident in January in which police said he met his victim online and persuaded her to travel by bus from her home near Boston to his mobile home in Halfmoon. There, the victim testified that Heidrich raped her at least three times, struck her in the head with a hammer as well as beat and choked her and poured hot coffee on her. The woman was able to escape and catch a bus back to Boston. She suffered brain damage.

His attorney had appealed the conviction on the grounds that the court did not release the identities of the jurors on the grounds that jurors in prior trials had been contacted by the media, investigators and co-defendants. Defense counsel could only refer to them by their juror numbers, according to the decision. 

Heidrich’s attorney had raised an objection at the start of the trial. The Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department sided with his argument, writing that criminal law allows for collection of juror information to question them about their qualifications to serve.

The appeals court justices wrote in the decision that the “County Court did not cite any threats to this jury and instead based its refusal to disclose the identities of prospective jurors upon a ground that the Court of Appeals has specifically found to be inadequate, namely ‘anecdotal accounts from jurors in unrelated cases.’”

Prosecutors had attempted to argue that the error at trial was harmless and that his attorneys did not preserve the issue for appeal. The appeals court disagreed and ordered a new trial.

Case will be retried

Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen said late Thursday afternoon that the appeals court rejected another contention in the defense’s appeal – that the convictions were not supported by the weight of the evidence.

“They deferred to the assessment of the credibility that the jury made and found there was evidence to support the convictions,” she said.

Specifically, there was testimony from the victim and other people who described her condition and text messages from the victim describing what happened to her. There were also injuries consistent with the claims of physical and sexual abuse and the defendant’s genetic material was found on her underwear, the justices wrote.

Heggen said the case will be retried. However, it will have to be assigned to a new judge. Judge Jim Murphy has recused himself to avoid any potential appearance of impropriety that his impartiality may be questioned, Heggen said.