Supreme Court orders man accused of murder to be released

PORTLAND, Ore. -- An Oregon man who has spent nearly three years in jail awaiting a new murder trial has been ordered to be set free.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that the Oregon Supreme Court has ordered that the murder case against Mark Lyle Moore Sr. be dropped. The court ruled that a second trial against Moore would violate his constitutional right against double jeopardy. His first trial ended in a mistrial.

Moore and co-defendant Ervin Oliver Golden Jr. were accused of beating and then killing 37-year-old Jeremy Purcell.

Moore asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the criminal case against him, saying the judge shouldn't have granted him a mistrial against his wishes. The Supreme Court agreed, saying a second trial would be unfair.