Prosecutors: Flirty juror no reason for new trial (AP)

[Yahoo! News]

AP - A Los Angeles fashion designer convicted of sexually assaulting seven women and teenage girls should not be granted a new trial even though a juror flirted over the phone with the defendant's sister, prosecutors argued Thursday.

Attorneys representing Anand Jon Alexander are seeking a new trial because they believe one of the jurors, Alvin Dymally, could not have been impartial because he reached out to Alexander's sister during the trial.

But prosecutors counter that a conversation between them was just flirtatious banter and not about the defendant's guilt or innocence.

The district attorney's office on Thursday released a transcript of a recorded phone conversation between Dymally and Alexander's sister Sanjana in which the juror complimented her appearance and made plans to meet.

"The tape speaks for itself," Deputy District Attorney Frances Young wrote in prosecution's argument against a new trial. "It appears to capture a conversation in which Dymally wanted to privately tell Sanjana that he thought she was 'sexy' and that he wanted to see her 'afterwards.'"

Leonard Levine, the fashion designer's attorney, said parts of the conversation have not been transcribed, including Dymally telling Sanjana Alexander that he loved her. Levine said Dymally changed his vote from not guilty to guilty in November after Alexander refused to meet with him during jury deliberations.

"I think it's clear that he was in love with her," Levine said. "He was hardly an impartial juror."

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