A jury in D.C. Superior Court failed to deliver a verdict Friday in the trial of 31-year-old Jorida Davidson, who has been charged with striking and killing a 24-year-old woman and then driving home.
In closing arguments, Davidson's lawyer argued that on October 7, 2010, the night of the accident, she was not drunk as prosecutors allege, but suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome related to her childhood in Albania.
Prosecutor's called the defense "ridiculous," NBC4's Derrick Ward reported.
Police said Davidson, an Albanian immigrant in the country on a green card, drove her Lexus SUV into Kiela Marie Ryan near Dupont Circle, and then continued driving. Ryan was celebrating her birthday.
A bicyclist noted the license on her vehicle and called it into police. Officers found Davidson sleeping behind the wheel of her SUV at her condo on North Park Avenue. She was taken into custody, but refused to take a breathalyzer test.
The defense told the jury that Davidson went to sleep in her car because for her, sleep was sometimes a "safe place."
Prosecutors countered that "safe place" was a euphemism for "not getting caught."
She faces charges of manslaughter, driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident. If convicted she faces 30 years behind bars. Jury deliberations will continue next week.
