Ruling ordering new trial reversed
A federal appeals court has reversed a ruling that overturned a health care executive’s manslaughter conviction for fatally drugging her 8-year-old autistic son.
The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that Manhattan Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave was wrong in 2020 when she ordered a new trial for Gigi Jordan, who was convicted in November 2014 of killing her son, Jude Mirra, in a Manhattan hotel room in 2010.
Jordan, a wealthy medical entrepreneur, admitted to plunging a lethal dose of medications down her son’s throat with a syringe. She then ingested multiple medications herself and emailed a relative, who alerted authorities.
Jordan claimed at her trial that she had decided to kill herself and Jude because she believed that one of her ex-husbands was planning to have her killed, and that without her the boy would fall under the care of her other ex-husband and would be sexually abused. Both men denied her allegations against them.
Jordan was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 18 years in prison.
The 2020 ruling ordering a new trial stemmed from an incident during the trial in which Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon acceded to a prosecutor’s request to close the courtroom for 15 minutes, over strenuous objections from the defense. Cave determined that closing the courtroom had violated Jordan’s Sixth Amendment right to a public trial, and Jordan was released to home confinement. The ruling means Jordan will likely be returned to prison. Messages seeking comment were left with her attorney.