Well, the jury begged to differ.
A Brooklyn man who was charged with attacking a woman on a subway platform might have thought he could convince the masses he was being railroaded by the criminal-justice system by tattooing the words “I am not guilty” on his hand.
But a savvy Brooklyn Supreme Court jury didn’t buy it. He was convicted on all counts Wednesday.
Giorgi Shevardenidze, 27, pounced on a woman in a Brighton Beach subway station on July 28, 2012. He grabbed her around the neck and mouth from behind and choked, smothered and groped her.
He was charged with aggravated sexual assault, obstruction of breathing and harassment.
The long-haul trucker’s lawyer said the convict got the tattoo after he was pinched — and before he had to sit in the defendant’s chair during the weeklong trial.
“I was surprised when I saw it, and a little bit concerned, because I didn’t know if it would affect the outcome of the trial or not,” attorney Irwin Klein said.
Two of the jurors said the tattoo didn’t affect their verdict. The jurors said they found the victim’s emotional testimony more believable than Shevardenidze, who testified that he innocently tripped and fell against the victim on the station stairs.
“There was enormous sympathy for the victim,” the juror said.
The jury foreman was so eager to announce the verdict, he blurted out, “Guilty!” the second the court clerk asked, “Has the jury reached a verdict?” and before the counts were announced.
Shevardenidze — who listened on headphones during the trial with the help of a Georgian translator — remained stone-faced, but turned and looked at his wife in the gallery as he was led out in handcuffs.
He could get up to 15 years behind bars when Judge William Harrington sentences him on Aug. 12.
Shevardenidze was also arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault for punching a man and biting his finger in Midwood, Brooklyn, on May 19, court papers show.