We're still trying to understand exactly what happened in Manhattan Criminal Court over the past two weeks that led to former police office Michael Pena—who had been on trial for the alleged rape of a 25-year-old school teacher at gunpoint while off-duty in Manhattan last August—not getting convicted of rape, despite being convicted of three counts of predatory sexual assault. More information has leaked out about the holdout jurors: the Daily News reports that at least one juror didn't believe the victim because she could not recall the color of a car parked by the courtyard where she was attacked: “If she doesn’t remember these details, how does she know she was penetrated,” one juror said, according to their sources. more ›

After publishing Gothamist's first long-form feature last week, Confessions of a "Rape Cop" Juror by Patrick Kirkland, we received many comments and questions about the piece. Confessions is Patrick's account as a juror in the trial of two NYPD officers charged with raping a young woman in her East Village apartment. The rape acquittals in this case sparked widespread outrage—many New Yorkers felt the defendants should have been convicted of more than just official misconduct. However, the jury, which listened to weeks of testimony, felt differently. We posed some of your questions to Patrick: more ›

If you're an alternate juror on a case involving one of Connecticut's most horrifying crimes—the murder and sexual assault of a woman and her two daughters, plus the near fatal beating of the woman's husband, in their home—why pass up to the opportunity to see if the bailiff wants to go out on a date? Even though she's supposed to be considering whether Steven Hayes, who was convicted of killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Michaela Petit, and Hayley Petit, deserves the death penalty, an unnamed juror sent this note—written on a napkin—"Sunday 5:00 pm Side Street Grill / Hamden"—meant for the court marshal but intercepted for the judge to see. more ›

After hearing testimony for weeks (jury selection began in June), the jury deliberating whether four men were plotting to bomb synagogues in the Bronx last May was dismissed early yesterday because a juror received inadmissible evidence. Apparently in a packet of transcripts—prepared by the government—there was a conversation between a defendant and his father about entrapment. Federal Judge Colleen McMahon said it was "utterly, completely and totally inadmissible." more ›

A juror passing judgment on a credit card thief allegedly swiped plastic from the man sitting near her—who was also a juror in the case! The News reports that 20-year-old Jennifer Mercado returned from lunch carrying several shopping bags full of new shoes. She now claims that John Postrk gave her permission to use his American Express card because "He came on to me... It's a he-said, she-said situation. In court, they will find out he's lying." Postrk's lawyers say the credit cards, along with his metrocard, disappeared from his coat pocket on March 8, the first day of the trial. "You've got to be really stupid to do that in front of a judge, court officers, law enforcement and all the cameras in this building," said one courthouse employee, who'd heard about the case. more ›

After it was reported that a juror felt intimidated to convict Astor heir Anthony Marshall, the juror accused of the intimidation has gone to the press: Yvonne Fernandez tells the NY Times that even though she yelled at fellow juror Judith DeMarco, "she and the other woman made up, hugged and cried together in the bathroom." more ›

The verdict from the five month long Astor trial last year may be challenged by the defense, as the NY Times reports, "A holdout juror...has told defense lawyers that she voted to convict him and an estate lawyer for crimes she did not believe they committed out of fear for her safety." Why was she so scared? Because another juror allegedly flashed gang signs at her! more ›

Juror 11 in the John Gotti, Jr. racketeering trial cannot stand Juror 7, and the enmity between the two has gotten so intense that legal experts think it could result in a hung jury—which would be the fourth time federal prosecutors have been derailed by the jury. Yesterday Judge Kevin Castel intervened to try and make peace, but Juror 11, who works as a city procurement-contract analyst, seems to be at the end of her rope. more ›

On Wednesday, it was reported that the latest John Gotti Jr. racketeering trial was experiencing internal problems because of Juror No. 7, a woman who allegedly enjoys "being escorted for cigarette breaks" and is happy to not be at work. Today, the Post is saying that the federal prosecutors' case is now in jeopardy of its fourth hung jury because of Juror No. 7's antics. more ›

New troubles keep trumping old troubles in the already kinda-troubled John Gotti Jr racketeering trial. One juror was already excused because of some bad trades, but today the tabloids report that an anonymous letter has singled out Juror No. 7 for "diva-like behavior and a plan to push deliberations past Christmas." more ›

After complaining about their limited food options, the jurors in John Gotti Jr.'s racketeering trial are feeling better. The Post reports that jurors enjoyed the fare at Spaghetti Western so much, "One juror even gave Manhattan federal Judge Kevin Castel a thumbs-up." While the Yelpers are meh about the Reade Street venue, Midtown Lunch likes the burger, a "1/2-pound-puck-of-chuck perfectly covered with cheese for $11." more ›

Another juror in John Gotti Jr.'s racketeering trial was released—because his subordinate lost him money! The Post reports that the "hedge-fund manager...complained that he had lost a 'significant' bundle of dough when a subordinate 'misconstrued' his trading instructions last week." The judge allowed him to leave, adding, "I'm sorry you experienced the loss. I feel some responsibility for that myself." And there's more juror unrest: They are unhappy with the limited food options AND a cold breeze blowing on the juror box. more ›

The jurors in the trial about the late Brooke Astor's estate continue to offer glimpses of what the six-month (!!!) marathon was like. They found Astor's 85-year-old son Anthony Marshall guilty of grand larceny—and the decision was not taken lightly. The jury forewoman Kristina Jezycki told the Daily News, "It's difficult to have a World War II veteran in this position. I have always respected my elders, so I find it very difficult to handle." more ›

Yesterday, a federal judge called a mistrial in a liability lawsuit, because the jurors were fighting! The case, heard at the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, centered around accusations that Merck's Fosamax causes severe dental and jaw problems. Juror Theresa Ciccone had decided against Merck; she tells the Post, "There were e-mails that Merck knew about these effects since 1999 and they weren't putting any warnings on the drugs. On the first day of deliberations, [the other jurors] were sure Merck was right. To them, Merck was gold. Merck was God." After more than a week of deliberating, Ciccone stuck to her guns and then one threw a chair, but she isn't mad at him, "He was one of the more reasonable guys. He was a young father who was afraid to lose his business because it was taking so long." Still, a female juror said to her, "Oh, I'm going to punch you in the head." Ciccone says one juror didn't even read the evidence, while the other jurors said she was holding things up because she didn't understand the evidence. The jury's forewoman told the Daily News, "All hell broke loose. There was a lot of verbal abuse. People calling each other stupid and crazy. It was childish. ... I don't want to do jury duty for at least another 20 years." You can see the letters from the jurors here. more ›

So Doreen Giuliano transformed herself from a 46-year-old Brooklyn mother into a sexy, blond, and tanned 30-something in order to befriend a juror from her son John Giuca's murder trial--and is now using recorded conversations with the juror to get Giuca's conviction overturned. But will it work? The NY Times speaks to some experts about the results from Giuliano's elaborate scheme which allegedly resulted in juror Jason Allo telling her he should never have been on the jury since he knew people on the prosecution witness list. A Legal Aid lawyer tells the Times, “Even if this had come to light somehow during the trial, even then it might not have occasioned a mistrial. Even if the whole thing were true, I think it might not result in a new trial." A law professor from NYU adds that there's a "very high bar" for proof of juror prejudice. Giuliano says she didn't consult a lawyer before hatching the sting, but did hire one midway through. And a lawyer for Giuca had previously filed for an appeal, claiming prosecutorial misconduct. more ›

Today, the Times, Post and Daily News look at one devoted mother's fight to prove her son's innocence. Doreen Giuliano, whose son John Giuca was convicted in the murder of a college student, transformed herself from a 46-year-old married Brooklyn mother to a sexy 30-something California transplant in order to catch the eye of a juror from her son's trial (see before and after pictures at left). more ›

After a judge declared a mistrial in the the animal cruelty case of a 205-pound man who killed a 7-pound cat, some of the jurors explained what happened during deliberations. The Post reported that "exhausted-looking" Shamsul Islam, Juror No. 11, said, "It was 11 to 1." more ›