The case against mobster John Gotti Jr. went to the jury for deliberations in Manhattan federal court, but not before some last minute drama on Tuesday.
Yes, for a while Tuesday morning, the defendant himself did not want to leave his jail cell to show up in court for the closing arguments in a case in which federal prosecutors have accused him of everything from conspiracy to murder to drug trafficking.
The New York Times reported that “in the middle of closing arguments, it evinced a new, unexpected — and rather odd — level of legal fatigue when the defendant himself, perhaps annoyed by the drawn-out process, or maybe just bored by the ordeal — refused to leave his cell and come to court.”
Mr. Gotti “did not wish to continue with the trial,” a United States marshal told the judge, according to the Times.
The paper reported that Gotti’s attorney Charles Carnesi was surprised by his client’s antics, saying: “No one knows anything from Mr. Gotti directly.”
A couple hours later, Gotti, without any real explanation, showed up in a “short-sleeved shirt and an irritated scowl”, the paper reported.
This is Gotti’s fourth trial. The other three resulted in mistrials. The big question is: Will the prosecution give up if it fails to get a conviction this time?
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