A juror who tried to get out of the John "Junior" Gotti trial on the first day by calling in sick succeeded only in postponing the hearing, according to a published report.
Who can blame her for trying?
The woman, one of six alternate jurors in the case, called the court to say she had experienced a "reaction" to a flu shot and was at her doctor's office, Manhattan federal Judge Kevin Castel said yesterday, reports The New York Post.
Castel delayed the beginning of testimony as he waited to hear back from the "sick" juror and for another juror, who phoned to say he had taken the wrong train and would be late, to arrive. He ended up having to cancel the entire day's proceedings when the woman called back to say she was suffering from a sinus infection, reports the Post.
The judge called the other jurors together and told them that the woman "has been given a prescription medicine" and "is of the view that she will be fit and ready to serve" Thursday morning, reports the Post.
The woman, who works as a procurement analyst for the city, was one of seven jurors who sent notes to the judge on Monday asking to be recused from Gotti's racketeering and murder trial. All of their requests were denied.
The accused mobster is on trial for a fourth time, facing racketeering and drug-related charges for slayings in the 1980s and 1990s. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
The previous cases against Gotti ended in hung juries and mistrials in 2005 and 2006.
The elder Gotti died in prison in 2002.
