The juror accused of lying his way onto the panel that convicted former cop Peter Liang in🧸 the shooting of unarmed Akai Gurley — by hiding the fact his father had gone to jail for accidentally shooting a pal — was earlier booted from another jury when he came cle⛄an about his dad.
Hours before he became juror No. 9 in the Liang trial in January, Michael Vargas was in the jury pool for the triple homicide case of Salvatore Perron♛e before Judge Alan Marrus.
The judge asked Vargas if anyone in his family had been “arrested” or “convicted” of something, prompting the 62-year-old to mention that his father had been sent to ja👍il fꦏor accidentally shooting a friend, the source said.
After an🥂swering a series of other questions, Varga💞s was excused by prosecutor Melissa Carvajal and shunted back down the jury room, where he was later called and questioned by Judge Danny Chun for Liang’s case.
Chun would later ask Vargas if anyone “close to him”꧙ had been “accused” of a crime.
After giving a series of playful, noncommittal answers⛎ Vargas eventually said “no.”
“Accused doesn’t mean convicted,” Vargas said in another interview with The Post. “That wa✃s a general question, and I gave a general answer.”
“He was asked two different questions by two different judges,” the source said. “Vargas said 🌄a lot different of things to Marrus that 🍨could be grounds for him getting challenged.”
Liang’s attorney Paul Shectman filed a motꦐion Tuesday as꧋king Judge Chun to set aside the February verdict and order a new ไtrial, after Vargas re🎉vealed to a publication in March that his absentee father had been convicted of manslaughter.
Liang was convicted of manslaughter for accidentally firing his service weapon in a darkened housing project stairwell during a patrol in No🐬vember 2014. The bullet ricocheted and fatally struck Gurley, who was on a land⭕ing below with his girlfriend.
The juror’s revelation came after Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson’s public recommendation ♈that Chun give Liang a no-jail ✃sentence of home confinement and probation.
“I am not talking. If you’re the judge I’ll talk to💫 you, if not, I’m not speaking to anyone,” an irate Vargas said before hanging up on a reporter Wednesday.
“Peter Liang received a🔥 fair trial and we will respond to the motion in court,” a spokesman for the Brooklyn DA’s office said Tuesday.
Liang, who is set to be sentenced April 14, f☂aces u🌞p to 15 years behind bars.