Juror: Accused Orange County killer strangles attorney during courtroom outburst, causing mistrial
A juror on the case spoke exclusively to News 12 about what he says unexpectedly ended the case in a mistrial.
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An Orange County man accused of murder is facing more legal troubles after he allegedly strangled his own attorney to the ground during a sudden courtroom outburst.
A juror on the case spoke exclusively to News 12 about what he says unexpectedly ended the case in a mistrial.
“We were looking at the witness, and we heard a noise and look, and he’s got him going down to the floor,” says juror Ray Segalini. “{He} grabbed him by the throat {and} just snapped.”
Segalini says the incident happened on the second day of testimony in the case against Arthur Thomas. The defendant is accused of stabbing 54-year-old Felix Alduen-Durand during an altercation in the City of Newburgh in 2020 near Broadway and Robinson Avenue.
“We were just stunned. It was just out of the blue. It was crazy. The court officers had to jump on him to get him off him and restrain him. They were yelling, ‘stop resisting, stop resisting’ and we were ushered out,” the juror says.
Segalini says the trial was expected to last two weeks and that Thomas’ attorney, Matthew Witherow, was claiming the defendant acted in self-defense. The juror says several City of Newburgh police officers had testified about responding to the murder scene, but that jurors had only heard from one witness, who Segalini says didn’t seem credible and made conflicting statements about the altercation.
“He was doing a good job at that point in my opinion, but it was still early,” Segalini says.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office confirms that a courtroom incident resulted in a mistrial in the case.
Segalini says Witherow was okay after the attack and refused medical attention.
The defense attorney also serves as a part-time judge in the City of Port Jervis. News 12 reached out to him for comment but didn’t receive a response.
Thomas is due back in Orange County Court on Tuesday and it’s not clear if Witherow, who still appears to be assigned to the case, will remain his attorney.
A representative for the New York State Unified Court System did not return News 12’s request for comment.
