In-trial tweets not cause for new trial, McHenry Co. judge rules

Discarding claims that a newspaper's Twitter updates during a trial affected the testimony of future witnesses, a McHenry County judge Wednesday denied a new trial to a Crystal Lake man convicted of killing a man with one punch.

Judge Sharon Prather also rejected defense arguments she erred in finding Dustin Goy guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the September 2007 incident in which, authorities said, he sucker punched a man during an altercation outside a downtown Crystal Lake tavern.

The blow caused Anthony Carlsen, 45, of Crystal Lake, to fall back and strike his head on pavement, resulting in a fatal brain injury.

Goy, 32, now faces a maximum two to five years in prison when sentenced Jan. 15.

At the heart of the Goy's motion for a new trial were claims that "tweets" from the Northwest Herald during his three-day trial in October could have been read by witnesses, who then may have shaped their testimony based on what the newspaper posted.

County prosecutors and Prather, however, said they saw nothing during the trial, or since, to support those allegations.

"There is no evidence presented to the court that these actions influenced any witnesses, or that the defendant was prejudiced by them," Prather said.