The juror's hand went up in the air, motioning to the US marshal in charge of the 10th floor courtroom in downtown Las Vegas.
The juror had something to say.
It was the third day of the trial of Joey Kadmiri, a 24-year-old accused of breaking into the dressing rooms of Australian stripper troupe Thunder from Down Under at the Excalibur Casino, stealing g-strings and then firing a .44 calibre "Dirty Harry" Magnum revolver at the head of the show's stage manager.
The jury had heard three hours of evidence on Wednesday before the jury member suddenly interrupted the proceedings.
Judge Jerome Tao asked the 11 other jurors and two alternates to wait in the hallway outside of court.
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The juror then told how he accidentally saw about 15 seconds of a TV news report about the case while at home the previous night.
In the TV report was a mug shot of Kadmiri covered in bruises and abrasions suffered during the March 18 robbery - a photo that had not been shown to the jury.
The juror also told how the reporter said Kadmiri had sneered during Tuesday's proceedings.
"I am going to call for a mistrial," Kadmiri's lawyer, Joshua Tomsheck, announced.
Judge Tao and prosecutor Kenneth Portz didn't agree.
Tomsheck probed a little further.
The juror then told how he had discussed the case with other jurors during breaks in proceedings.
Judge Tao had repeatedly warned the jury not to view media reports about the case and not to discuss the trial with other jury members until they began deliberations at the end of the trial.
"This one is not black and white," the juror, recalling what he told the other jurors, said.
There were grey areas in the evidence and the case probably wouldn't be over by Friday as they thought, the juror, describing the conversations, said.
A chill went through the courtroom.
With numerous jurors disobeying the court's orders, Judge Tao and Portz conceded defeat.
"This is bad," Portz said. "I don't think we can move forward."
Judge Tao called in the other 13 jurors and declared a mistrial.
"We have to pull the plug on this trial and reset it for another date," Judge Tao said.
A status hearing will be held on July 17, with a new trial possibly set for July 21.
Kadmiri, who has been in custody since his arrest on March 18 and faces robbery with a weapon, burglary and battery with a weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm charges, smiled and shook his lawyer's hand.
He will remain in custody.
