Undercover Brooklyn Mom Fighting for Son's Freedom Proved Nothing, DA Says

A 46-year-old Brooklyn mother who posed as a "sexy" 30-something California transplant in order to win the confidence of a juror from her son's trial has not proven the need for a new trial, prosecutors say. You may recall the story: Doreen Giuliano, whose son John Giuca was convicted in the murder of a Fairfield college student in 2003 during a long night of partying in Ditmas Park, learned that one of the jurors, Jason Allo, knew some of her son's friends, a fact he withheld during the trial. So she slimmed down, dyed her hair, and rented an apartment near Allo in order to befriend him.

It worked, and over time she managed to audiotape Allo blabbing about how he and his cousin used to socialize with members of the Ghetto Mafia (the gang prosecutors contend Giuca belonged to), that during the trial he discussed details with his cousin, and that he read newspaper accounts of the trial against the judge's orders. (Harper's has a transcript of one such conversation.) In a fascinating Vanity Fair article about her undercover investigation, a legal adviser told the magazine that the recordings "virtually demand a reversal of the conviction. There are New York State and U.S. Supreme Court precedents. He [Allo] knew what he did was improper."

Yesterday the Brooklyn DA responded to a motion for a new trial based on the recordings, which, according to Giuliano's lawyers, prove that the juror was biased against Giuca. Prosecutors counter that Giuliano prodded the juror into making the statements, and the recordings do not prove that Allo lied during jury selection, the Post reports. The decision now rests with Justice Alan D. Marrus of State Supreme Court in Brooklyn—the same judge who presided over the trial of Giuca and his co-defendant, Antonio Russo, both of whom are serving 25 years to life in prison.