Juror’s social media post spurs mistrial request in murder trial

FREEHOLD — The dismissal of a juror over a social media post has spurred defense lawyers to seek a mistrial for a man accused of strangling a former high school classmate during a robbery and throwing her body off a bridge.

Superior Court Judge Richard English removed the juror last Thursday and informed the remaining 15 jurors of his decision on Wednesday, as the murder trial of Liam McAtasney was due to resume.

The judge then spoke individually with each juror about the post and the dismissal, then eventually excused them for the day after the mistrial request was made,

The female juror was dismissed for Facebook posting that stated" ''Sitting on the jury laughing my a— off."

The judge will rule on the mistrial request on Thursday.

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