Man on Trial for Robbing Busking Cellist Waits in Hall As Jury Deliberations Head into Day 2

Man on Trial for Robbing Busking Cellist Waits in Hall As Jury Deliberations Head into Day 2 by Matthew & Russell Lee, Patreon Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 8 – A man charged with robbing a busking cellist in New York's Herald Square subway station is on trial in 100 Centre Street before Justice Robert M. Mandelbaum.     On June 4 his lawyer cross examined the arresting police officer about the value of things stolen, including the busker's amplifier. Inner City Press was there and live tweeted:  Defense lawyer: So, in the cello case, there was $350 in cash?  NYPD Officer: Yes. Defense: And the cello, and an amp worth $900? NYPD Officer: Yes. [The cellist was part of the MTAs official music program]  Now video of the defendant, handcuffed, at the desk in the MTA police station in Columbus Circle station. Officer counts the cash dramatically in front of a stationary camera  Defense ends cross; no re-direct. Witness, last of the day, leaves.  Then a juror asks: Can I bring my skateboard with me tomorrow? Judge: They will probably voucher it. They do not want people riding in the hallway.  Jurors file directly out -- then one was called in. He works at Mount Sinai and may have - that is, cannot rule out having - worked with the doctor who treated the victim. Either way, he said, he can be fair.    Update: on June 8, as the jury deliberated after asking for CCTV videos, the defendant sat alone in the otherwise empty 15th floor hallway. Near 5, his lawyer arrived and offered a soda. Inside, Justice Mandelbaum told the jurors they could go for the day, and that on Tuesday he cannot answer their questions or take their verdict until at earliest 2 pm. Did they want to come in at 10 am or later? Noon, they decided. It might seem that they are close - watch this site. *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station, NY NY 10013 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2026 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com