MCAO secretly investigated jurors with detectives and confidential FBI database

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) is accused of secretly investigating jurors in a death penalty case after a judge refused to remove them, using detectives and a confidential FBI database. ABC15 Arizona reported that prosecutors used the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to probe two jurors without informing the court, the defense, or the jurors themselves. One juror, Jillian Barfield, said she learned from ABC15 about the investigation into her life and argued it may have violated her civil rights and FBI rules. Lawyers and experts told ABC15 the situation is unprecedented and undermines the jury system, but no legal authority had taken control of the matter. The investigation began during jury selection on September 30, 2025, involving Franklin Clifton, after prosecutors sought to remove jurors over their “demeanor” and “body language.”