GRINNING GRINCH
Nah, Bro. A federal judge Tuesday rejected “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli’s request for a mistrial following a spate of news articles, including The Post’s front-page story about how much prospective jurors already revile him.
But two days into the trial, not a single one of the 247 potential jurors questioned had been impaneled to try the former pharmaceuticals boss, who is infamous for jacking up the price of an AIDS drug 5,000 percent.
Shkreli’s defense lawyer waved a copy of Tuesday’s Post, reading aloud the intro quoting jurors calling his client a “snake,” “evil” and a “dick,” before asking that all remaining candidates be tossed.
“I think it is impossible for jurors not to see this,” lawyer Benjamin Brafman bellowed, brandishing The Post and its “Jury of His Jeers” headline as he stalked around the well.
“This whole panel has been irreparably tainted,” he bellowed.
Shkreli, who is accused of an $11 million Ponzi scheme, giggled through Tuesday’s proceedings — and stared directly at a Post reporter with a big smirk on his face as his lawyer quoted from her article.
Despite denying the mistrial motion, Judge Kiyo Matsumoto said that some publications may have “used a broad brush” when describing the jurors’ vitriol.
In all, 134 potential jurors were tossed Monday, many due to their caustic assessments of the 34year-old, and another 70 Tuesday.
Those remaining were asked about their exposure to the news this week — but only four were dropped for media “taint.”
One man who walked in carrying a copy of The Post had it confiscated by marshals. He was later dropped due to vacation hardship since the trial is expected to last six weeks.
One “health-care professional” said she knows someone who is on the medication for which Shkreli boosted prices, and told the judge she couldn’t be unbiased.
“I’ve cried with them,” the woman said. “I don’t think I’d be the right person to sit.”
Another woman reported that she and her husband had lost their “life savings” to a Ponzi scheme.
And one man claimed he would be afraid for his safety, because he lives in Shkreli’s childhood neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay.
“The only negative thing that hasn’t been said about Mr. Shkreli has now been said,” the attorney declared.
Forty-seven members of the original jury pool will return today — along with a fresh 150 who haven’t faced any questions yet.