New York – Deliberations in the corruption trial of ex-New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver began with drama Tuesday when a juror claimed that other jurors accused her of failing to use her common sense, leaving her feeling “very, very uncomfortable.”
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“I’m feeling pressured, stressed out,” the juror wrote in a note to U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan as she asked to be excused from further deliberations.
The note, the first word from jurors, came less than two hours after deliberations began.
Prosecutors accuse Silver of abusing his office for years, collecting millions of dollars in kickbacks for favors provided to a cancer researcher and real estate developers. The defense countered that the once-powerful Democrat did not commit a crime.
In all, prosecutors claim Silver earned $5 million illegally over more than a decade. Still an assemblyman, the 71-year-old lawyer resigned his leadership post after his January arrest.
In her note, the juror said she had a different opinion and view than other jurors “and it is making me feel very, very uncomfortable.”
Other jurors, she said, were telling her she was not using her common sense.
“My heart is pounding and my head feels weird,” she said. “I am so stressed out right now that I can’t even write normally. I don’t feel like I can be myself right now! I need to leave!”
After a prosecutor recommended she be released as a juror, the judge said it was too early to do so, and said she would urge jurors to respectfully exchange views.
“Listen to and exchange views with your other jurors,” Caproni said she would tell them.
The judge said she was further convinced that patience was the best remedy when another note emerged from jurors shortly afterward. In it, the jurors asked if there was a code of conduct or ethics code that clearly stated whether receiving funds for something in return is illegal.
“It seems there is some deliberation going on,” the judge told lawyers. “It’s too early to throw in the towel.”
“the jurors asked if there was a code of conduct or ethics code that clearly stated whether receiving funds for something in return is illegal.”
I guess the jurors were sleeping during the trial.
if shes not using common sense that shows she thinks like many of the people that Shelly is not a crook and a good person, this is not good. Shelly needs to be put away like Rapfogel was.
What outside source got to this juror?
BH !! lets hope he clears his name and gets vindicated!!!
How many politicians earn money for speaking tours and get government money for the places that honor them? Perhaps Silver was singled out because of his stance on some issues.
Shelly ‘Shanda’ Silver will never spend a night in jail. His millions will corrupt rhe jury, as evidenced today. Feh.
So far, so good for Shelly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
albroker has issues which we can see from many of his posts…sadly …a self hating jew. even in elementary school they teach children about forgiving and teshuva…go back to school angry boy
I attended this trial and was there today again. I have attended other trials in the past. I feel the government has a very weak case against Mr Silver.
The laws governing the conduct of NY State legislators were written by NY State legislators. They were not written to get them arrested & jailed; they were written in order to allow themselves to get away with anything short of a direct bribe & Shelly was careful enough to avoid that.
Ethical? Ethics & politics don’t mix!
The jurors are instructed to uphold the letter- of -the- law and know the FACTS of the case that were PRESENTED to them,and see if it is legal or not based ONLY on the evidence presented by the lawyers,during this case.
Nothing else should come into the mind of the juror,especially common sense!!
That is why they are sequestered away in the first place