[ad_1]
This Queen's judge apparently likes her jurors – and dry cleaning – to be suspended.
Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise, who surprisingly blocked the jury's decision in the case of Karina Vetrano's murder after a day of deliberations, took advantage Wednesday of the unexpected pause that was won by withdrawing his decision.
The race was launched when one of these jurors revealed to the Post that several members of the committee wanted to continue to weigh down the charges against Chanel Lewis – accused of sexually assaulting and strangling Vetrano, 30, on a jogging trail 2016 – when the forewoman sent a note to Aloise to tell her that she was in a stalemate.
"We were not all in agreement to put an end to the situation," said the juror, who requested anonymity.
"Some of us wanted to think a little more about it. This note was sent and people were not ready to stop it. People felt that there could have been more deliberations. "
Aloise would not say why he did not push the jury of 12 jurors to go back and deliberate further – what legal experts have termed a routine move.
The race was launched when one of these jurors revealed to the Post that several members of the committee wanted to continue to weigh down the charges against Chanel Lewis – accused of sexually assaulting and strangling Vetrano, 30, on a jogging trail 2016 – when the forewoman sent a note to Aloise to tell her that she was in a stalemate.
"We were not all in agreement to put an end to the situation," said the juror, who requested anonymity.
"Some of us wanted to think a little more about it. This note was sent and people were not ready to stop it. People felt that there could have been more deliberations. "
Aloise would not say why he did not push the jury of 12 jurors to go back and deliberate further – what legal experts have termed a routine move.
"Many people were unhappy that the note was sent to the judge at the time. Some of us wanted to think a little more about it. This note was sent and people were not ready to stop it. People thought that there could have been more deliberation – in the same way that two people changed their minds after watching the video, "said the juror.
"Some of us were also shocked, like what just happened? It was upsetting. I'm not going to say I lost my time, but I feel it would have taken longer, "said the juror.
"It was a little traumatic for me because I felt it was like a tragedy and that I really wanted justice done."
Veteran lawyers, too, were surprised that Aloise, who has been a judge since 1999, did not send them back to deliberate.
"I've never seen [a mistrial] arrive without an Allen charge. Never. Allen's charges are working normally, "said defense attorney Sally Butler, a prosecutor in Queens for 15 years.
"Every time you receive this note, it's the first thing the judge does. There was definitely something in place.
Human Rights lawyer Ron Kuby agreed that the result was "unheard of" given the short duration of deliberations. "In my experience, the first stalemate never blocks the jury, except in the case of physical violence. [among jurors] or other foreign reasons, "said Kuby.
The panel had deliberated only one hour Monday and 12 hours Tuesday, after hearing a mountain of evidence against Lewis.
Click for more The New York Post
Source link
