Judge Denies Mistrial In Gigi Jordan Case
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There were more fireworks Wednesday in the trial of a former pharmaceutical executive accused of killing her 8-year-old autistic son.
Ron Kuby, one of Gigi Jordan's many lawyers, made a last-minute appearance demanding a mistrial based on the judge's refusal to let the jury see evidence that might have proved Jordan believed her ex-husband was going to have her killed, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported.
The argument is a major part of Jordan's extreme-emotional-disturbance defense.
The evidence that was barred was a report describing Ray Mirra as an associate of organized crime.
Kuby's demand for a mistrial threw prosecutor Matthew Bogdanos into a fury. Bogdanos shouted: "I've had enough of this! No more!"
As CBS 2's Hazel Sanchez reported, the judge rejected the mistrial motion, and jury deliberations got underway.
Jordan admitted on the witness stand earlier this month that she gave Jude Mirra a fatal dose of prescription drugs in February 2010 at the Peninsula Hotel in Midtown.
Jordan's lawyers say she was convinced her ex-husband was going to kill her, leaving the child's biological father — who she claims sexually abused the boy — to care for him. In her mind, her son would be better off dead, her lawyers said.
In his closing arguments Monday, defense attorney Allan Brenner told jurors that there was no murderous intent when Jordan killed the boy, saying she acted as a result of "extreme emotional disturbance."
Despite that Jude was nonverbal, Jordan testified that the boy learned to communicate with her by typing on a laptop computer and BlackBerry. That was how, she said, he told her about abuse he endured with bizarre satanic elements – from being forced to drink blood and kill animals to being zapped with electricity.
The boy also typed a message saying he wanted to die, testified Jordan, a millionaire and socialite.
Bogdanos argued that for jurors to accept Jordan's defense they would have to believe that Jude, at age 6, began typing comments such as "I want to aggressively punish God" while describing the alleged sexual abuse.
Jude's father denies the allegations of abuse and has never been charged. Jordan's ex-husband has denied all her allegations and has sued her for slander.
Trained as a nurse, Jordan went on to launch companies that administer drugs to patients in their home. After making an estimated $40 million, she left her career to travel the country seeking medical answers for her son.
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