Thad Andrew Jesperson

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Thad Andrew Jesperson was a mormon in San Diego, California. Jesperson was a second and third grade teacher at Toler Elementary School in San Diego. Jesperson was a defendant in 3 criminal trials all having to do with allegations that he molested 8 of his female students.

Jesperson was initially convicted of a single count of lewd and lascivious acts upon a child under the age of 14 years in his first criminal trial. A mistrial was declared after the jury deadlocked on the remaining 12 charges

In the second criminal trial, Jesperson was retried and convicted of a single count again, acquitted of 4 other counts. The jury dead locked on 5 additional counts. And the court declared a mistrial on those 5 charges.

According to an appellate court decision, the following occurred next:

“Pending sentencing and a possible third trial, the court granted Jesperson’s motion for a new trial on the count 1 conviction involving J., based on juror misconduct during deliberations in the second trial. Before retrial, the People filed a second amended information charging Jesperson with seven counts of lewd and lascivious acts upon J. (counts 1 & 2), Michelle (counts 3, 4 & 5), and K. (counts 6 & 7), and again alleged as to each count that Jesperson had committed the offense against more than one victim under the one strike law (§ 667.61, subds. (b), (c), (e)). Jesperson entered a double jeopardy plea, as well as not guilty pleas and denials, to all counts and allegations, and the court granted his motion to bifurcate for separate trial on the one strike allegations.

“After the third trial, the jury convicted Jesperson of all seven counts as charged. The trial court subsequently found true the one strike multiple victim allegations and further found that Jesperson had not been “once in jeopardy” for those findings or their underlying convictions. After denying his new trial motion, the court sentenced Jesperson to prison for an indeterminate term of 15 years to life (seven concurrent indeterminate terms of 15 years to life for his convictions arising out of the third trial and a concurrent six-year midterm for the one conviction from the first trial).”

Ultimately, Jesperson was successful in getting his conviction reversed and even got his old teaching job back.