WASHINGTON COUNTY JUDGE ROBERT CUPP HAS DECLARED A MISTRIAL IN THE FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND ARSON CASE OF PONCHO JUAN DELGADO OF JOHNSON CITY. THE TRIAL WAS DELAYED LAST MONTH BECAUSE OF AN ILLNESS OF JUDGE CUPP. REPORTS HAVE CLAIMED A MISTRIAL HAD ALREADY BEEN DECLARED, BUT JUDGE CUPP SAYS THAT WASN’T THE CASE – UNTIL THIS MORNING. DEFENSE ATTORNEY JIM BOWMAN SAID HE PLANS TO APPEAL A RE-TRIAL CLAIMING DOUBLE JEOPARDY. HOWEVER, JUDGE CUPP DISAGREES, AND HAS SET A TRIAL DATE OF JUNE 2ND. JUDGE CUPP SAID THE PRESENT JURY COULD NOT PROVIDE A FAIR TRIAL BECAUSE JURORS WERE APART FOR TOO LONG, AND SOME OF THEM TALKED ABOUT THE CASE WITH EACH OTHER. DELGAGO IS ACCUSED IN THE FATAL STABBING OF ROBERT CURTIS, WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND INSIDE HIS BURNING HOME ON EAST FAIRVIEW AVENUE IN JOHNSON CITY.