A federal judge overseeing the CityTime payroll scam agreed on Thursday to allow a juror who allegedly “flipped the bird” at one of the defendants earlier this week to remain on the case.
Manhattan federal Judge George Daniels decision came despite opposition from lawyers for the scam’s alleged mastermind, Mark Mazer.
Daniels agreed to let the female juror, who is a prominent city lawyer, stay on after she convinced him she wouldn’t discuss the case with anyone despite media reports about Tuesday’s incident.
But Mazer’s lawyer Gerald Shargel said, “I don’t know of another case where I would have to face the type of persecution that would flow from [media] articles like this.”
Shargel claims that he and Mazer got into a confrontation with the juror outside the courthouse on Tuesday after she was selected for the lengthy two-month trial.
Shargel claims the juror looked “angry,” asked why she was selected and then gave Mazer what appeared to be “the finger.”