WATERLOO - A man facing 40 years in prison in connection with a shooting is asking the court for a new trial because jurors learned an investigator in the case was named Officer of the Year.

In February, jurors found Ramon Montress Seals, 28, guilty of first-degree robbery and assault causing serious injury in the Jan. 12, 2006, shooting of James Shower in an alley behind Kingsley Avenue.

During Seals' trial, Officer Rob Camarata, who led the shooting investigation and testified on the stand, was named Officer of the Year for the Waterloo Police Department.

One of the jurors was a member of the Exchange Club, which bestows the annual award, and attended a luncheon for Camarata during a break in the trial Feb. 11. He even shook the investigator's hand, court officials said.

The Exchange Club member was removed from the jury panel after the luncheon, and the trial continued using an alternate juror.

Now Seals' defense attorney, Michael Lanigan, said other jurors were aware Camarata was named Officer of the Year before the trial concluded.

On Friday, three jurors took the stand and said they had heard about the award and talked briefly about it during a break. They also speculated it was the reason the other juror was removed.

A fourth juror submitted an affidavit to the court stating the same.

The award wasn't brought up during trial testimony in February, and Lanigan said he would have objected if the subject came up because it would have unfairly bolstered Camarata's testimony.

Prosecutor Joel Dalrymple said the defense failed to show that knowledge of the award affected jury deliberations.

Judge Richard Stochl will rule on the matter at a later date.

Lanigan also is seeking a new trial for his client on the grounds that a defense witness made an unexpected statement in front of jurors during the trial.

The witness, who was to be testifying about an argument between Seals and another suspect a few days before the shooting, said Seals had told him he shot someone.

Lanigan said the witness was making reference to an unrelated incident that happened when he was young, and it was improper for jurors to hear it.

Dalrymple said the witness was actually talking about the Kingsley Avenue shooting, so it was pertinent to the case.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.