In Columbia, the state Supreme Court has ordered a...

In Columbia, the state Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a man sentenced to death after he was convicted of fatally beating and shooting a police officer 3 years ago. In a unanimous ruling, the justices said questioning the families of potential jurors less than a day before the trial began was "at minimum, an attempt to influence the jury" and violated James Bryant III's right to a fair and impartial jury. Bryant was sentenced to death 2 years ago for killing police Cpl. Dennis Lyden. In its ruling, the Supreme Court reiterated that prosecutors can do background checks on potential jurors as long as they follow certain rules. But in the Bryant case, investigators went too far, the justices ruled. "Under the circumstances, the questioning could have been perceived as an attempt to intimidate jurors," the justices wrote.