DESIGNER ALEXANDER FIGHTING FOR RETRIAL ON RAPE CONVICTION

DESIGNER ALEXANDER FIGHTING FOR RETRIAL ON RAPE CONVICTION

Prosecutors are urging a Los Angeles judge to throw out convicted rapist ANAND JON ALEXANDER's bid for a retrial, amid allegations of one juror's inappropriate behaviour during the fashion designer's 2008 trial.
Alexander, who has reportedly designed outfits for Paris Hilton and Mary J. Blige, was found guilty of 16 charges of sexually assaulting seven girls and young women.
During his two-month trial, a California court heard how the Indian-born couturier lured wannabe models as young as 14 to his apartment in Beverly Hills and abused them in a string of attacks between 2001 and 2007.
The 35 year old's attorneys claimed his accusers were attempting to ruin his career, but he was convicted of 16 of the 23 charges against him. He was acquitted of four charges and a further three resulted in a hung jury.
But Alexander is now seeking a retrial after it emerged juror Alvin Dymally had contacted the disgraced star's sister Sanjana and flirted with her. His attorney Leonard Levine claims Dymally's actions show he could not have been impartial when deliberating over the charges.
Levine says, "I think it's clear that he was in love with her. He was hardly an impartial juror."
However, prosecutors argue the juror did not discuss any details about the trial with Sanjana and only complimented her in taped phone conversations presented to the judge to support their argument.
Deputy District Attorney Frances Young says, "The tape speaks for itself. It appears to capture a conversation in which Dymally wanted to privately tell Sanjana that he thought she was 'sexy' and that he wanted to see her 'afterwards'."
A court hearing to determine whether Alexander will be granted a new trial is due to take place on Monday (06Jul09).