Crying juror causes mistrial

NEW YORK, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- A judge declared a mistrial in the case of a man accused of assaulting a 102-year-old woman because the jury forewoman was upset about the length of the trial.

Lawyers for Jack Rhodes, 46, asked the judge to send the jury home after three days of deliberations, the New York Daily News reported. They argued that the forewoman, who was in tears, could not be fair.

The trial had taken four weeks. Prosecutors blamed the defense for delays, saying that they first asked for three days to prepare their client to testify and then announced that he would not testify.

Late Thursday, the forewoman broke down, saying that the long trial had cost her too much in salary. She also said, without explaining the details, that she had only one day left to visit her mother.

"This case has been taking a long time," she said. "I'm going to have to fly to see my mom."

Rhodes allegedly mugged Rose Morat, 102, in the lobby of her Queens apartment building in 2007 and Solange Elizee, 87, who was attacked a short time later. The attacks were captured by a security camera with the tape aired extensively on local television.