Brooklyn, NY – Juror Drops Bombshell Says Pre-Trial Anti-Semitism Towards Hasidic Defendant

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    Photo illustrationBrooklyn, NY – A juror who single-handedly caused a mistrial last week in a case involving a Hasidic defendant, has dropped a bombshell—saying that anti-Semitism among jurors was openly discussed before the trial even began.

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    A NEW YORK DAILY NEWS EXCLUSIVE (http://nydn.us/12HPKvj) reports that the defendant in trial was 29 year-old Alexander Rogalsky of Brooklyn, who faced the decade-old charge of sodomizing a 12 year-old boy.

    When speaking about her fellow jury member’s behavior, the 51 year-old woman said, “They were saying he was guilty before the trial even started. There was a lot of talk about the Jewish religion and one girl said it was a ‘Jewish trial'”.

    Michael Farkas, a defense attorney who represented convicted counselor Nechemia Weberman, said the juror’s admission validates long-standing claims among defense attorneys that Hasidic defendants are inherently targeted for bias because of their distinct look and dress, said, “When an obviously Orthodox Jewish defendant goes on trial, (he’s) facing a subconscious prejudice.”

    Rogalsky stood accused of sodomizing the boy after establishing a relationship with him when he worked as a counselor at a summer sleep-away camp in 2003.

    The victim, now 22, testified against Rogalsy at trial, and prosecutors even presented an audio tape between the boy and Rogalsky in which Rogalsky did not deny the criminal act, but the lone juror was not convinced Rogalsky was guilty of a sex crime.

    “It seemed something did happen between them,” the holdout said, “but there wasn’t enough evidence.”

    A spokesman for DA Hynes’ office said the evidence was strong, and that the DA plans to re-try Rogalsky.

    Hynes, who has been accused in the past of pandering to the Orthodox community by withholding the names of alleged Orthodox sex-offenders, established an independent system for prosecuting Hasidics accused of sex-crimes, which includes testimony at trial by an expert who explains to the jury that Hasidic victims of sex-crimes often shy away from coming forward due to pressure from within the community.

    Such an expert testified in the Rogalsky case.

    The lone holdout said she has attempted to contact Rogalsky’s defense team with the advice that Rogalsky “look less religious” for the next trial.


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    47 Comments
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    thegreatone
    thegreatone
    10 years ago

    What else is new? Finally we hear the truth from an insider a juror
    .For a long time lawyers have been advising their Orthodox clients guilty or not just plead guilty becuase a frum Jew has zero chance in court that’s just the sad fact

    I_Am_Me
    I_Am_Me
    10 years ago

    Can he retry him? Isn’t that double jeopardy?

    Mendel32
    Mendel32
    10 years ago

    Any suggestions on how to look less religious?
    Wear a tee shirt without a black hat and jacket? (With lainge payos and a yarmulke, of course,) I don’t think you can fool anyone except yourself.

    barbaabba
    barbaabba
    10 years ago

    This is a triple tragedy, the sex abuse most likely happen and now the victim will have to be dragged through the mud again in a new trial. then there is the issue with anti semitism that somehow went undetected through the jury selection process

    sheepheadsbayyid
    sheepheadsbayyid
    10 years ago

    lets hear the cry to let out all yiddin from prison. Maybe this is so rare that is why the juror spoke up

    Realistic
    Realistic
    10 years ago

    There is one option

    Orthodox Jews should report to Jury duty, and stand up for their rights. Otherwise we will be persecuted.

    10 years ago

    Sounds to me like someone bribed her. Now, who would do that in our community?

    10 years ago

    “The lone holdout said she has attempted to contact Rogalsky’s defense team with the advice that Rogalsky “look less religious” for the next trial.”

    She just did that.

    Haven’t we heard for a long while that a hasisic prson has no chance on a jury in New York?

    ALTERG
    ALTERG
    10 years ago

    Nothing new, when the jury see a 12 year old girl with a 50 year old man like by weberman case for sure they will say guilty even there was no witness no video no DNA, this hynes put in jail lot of innocent people, sham on him

    enlightened-yid
    enlightened-yid
    10 years ago

    All of the convicted Islamist terrorists claim jury bias against Muslims. And I didn’t see any defenders of them here. Every frum person is now a “victim” of jury antisemitism and there are no criminals and pedophiles; prosecutors’ evidence be dammed.

    qazxc
    qazxc
    10 years ago

    B”H we see the system works! When there is antisemitism in the jury system the truth comes out.

    Now we know even clearer than before that Weberman is guilty as charged. Someone like this juror would have come forward had there been antisemitism involved in his guilty verdict.

    B”H we have been given such a great country in which to live until the geula shelaimah. We should at least be grateful enough to be the most cautious of all citizens to obey all of her laws.

    TexasJew
    TexasJew
    10 years ago

    This is exactly what the Trayvon community is saying about their verdict.
    This is the best system in the world. If you don’t like it, don’t do the crime.

    MonseyLuke
    MonseyLuke
    10 years ago

    Yossi Gestetner YossiGestetner
    @OrenNYDN @EstelleNachos haha Oren
    7:33pm – 22 Jul 13

    Laughing because a mistrial was called based on alledged antisemitic comments by jury members while the defendent was caught on tape admitting to sexual abuse of a then 12 year old boy. He deems this pay back to the NY Daily News reporter Oren Yaniv who wrote a column today “EXCLUSIVE: Juror’s bombshell claim: Hasidic suspects can’t get a fair trial in Brooklyn “

    Yossi and he went head to head during the Weberman trial. Yossi screamed a hassid couldn’t get a fair trial while Oren reported the facts of the trial. Oren reporting, Yossi in apologist mode. So I guess Yossi savors his self proclaimed “win” over Oren with a “haha” to the devastation of the repeated rape of a 12 year old boy.

    This is disgusting. Remember this when you see him on New 12 representing the “community.”

    Luke.

    10 years ago

    Lots of cash was flying around during this trial. For the next one, I hope the authorities follow the cash flow and keep their ears open.

    Sol-Sol
    Sol-Sol
    10 years ago

    Michael Farkas should keep his mouth shut tight if he knows what’s good for him. Did him and his client (Wbmn) both really think for some reason that the jury pool will be shleped out of 152 Rodney St??

    Did they really think that all his misdeeds and disgusting behavior from over the years won’t be brought up at trial. Did they really think that taking a underage girl on a 15 hour trip upstate alone, and Lingerie purchases won’t be mentioned at trial?
    Did they really think the multiple locks on his home-office doors with sessions lasting many hours into the night won’t be mentioned at trial??

    Now he has the audacity to blame the jury for looking crooked at a yid!?! As if a goy is supposed to respect us after hearing all that went on at that trial!!

    Farkas just makes my blood boil!

    Honestly speaking if you were not a yid, and you heard all that the Willi community did against this poor victims family, would you still respect a yid?

    naisgal
    naisgal
    10 years ago

    Get real. Do you think all hate left the universe with the end of WW11? Aisav sonei Yaakov, Purim story, In every generation…It is a given there will be those with sinat chinum.
    The point here though is not that there is bias, but that this took a decade to get to court. Weberman supporters had people who harassed the family and closed their business, plus raised money to help a pedophile, and that disgusts me more than the usual expected hate towards Jews we are all aware of and anticipate. That is Jews against Jews.
    Also, how many people give a positive bias to someone who is appearing to be religious, hence with higher moral values, only to learn how a person dresses is not indicative of their character, always? It works both ways.
    How many times do we go to an authority ( lawyer, real estate broker, teacher, doctor or Rabbi, etc.) with full trust only to discover that some are crooks, pedophiles, or incompetent. Do not judge a book by its cover or clothes. Works both ways. If we were angels that could do no wrong we would not have a beis din. Some people raised Orthodox or Chassidishe are just plain as sinful as those without this upbringing. And decent people are in all.