the juror , michael vargas, taft faced taft tough questions. almost over for mixed martial arts fans. he lifted the state band during the ceremony. one of the sports organizers wants to hold the event at the garden later this year. >> it's an interesting time around the stuff . duke, there was a fighter that died after a match a few days ago. >> it was overseas. >> the top two goalies are out. what happens? the only goalies* and he gets hit with a stick. it goes into hank's eye there. i was watching and i said, ouch! it was a short delay and he was trying to give it a go but this is at the end of it too. rebound. he will be reevaluated later today at game two. it was born before the islanders began playing. >> bottom of the seventh. he tries for the double. he hits it down the line. it's making a catch and he will be okay. they went to in the final store. score. did he ever put on a show? the pregame festivities were all about colby and right to the he scores a season-high at 60 points. jack likes it. he scores since 2009 and the lakers riled r

his attorney said they didn't know that the father of that juror, michael vargas, served time in prisonthey are calling for a retrial. in this court document his attorneys ask the jurors, have any of you been accused of a crime? i'm talking about close family or yourself. vargas responds, no no. the document goes on to say a juror who lies his way on to a jury is a stranger who snreeks into the jury room. the statement vargas made on facebook before the trial, suggests police officers get away with violence. a spokesman for brooklyn are district attorney's office, says they will respond in court. we reached out to vargas, who says he won't speak to anyone except the judge. liang faces up to 15 years in prison but the prosecutor has suggested a sentence of probation acknowledge community service and restriction of movement. >>> treasury's plan to crack down on tax t versions acknowledge moving american companies overseas to avoid paying taxes, pfizer would have only had to pay 12% tax in ireland. >>> methadone fails for 10% of chronic addicts. but researchers in vancouver say they have f

the juror michael vargas, lied to get on the jury by withholding information about his criminal past. same one that peter liang was facing. the judge says he did not believe he knowingly hid the details and he upheld liang's manslaughter conviction. >> he was ducking questions and not coming with answers. he kept on playing with words. there is always the appeals court . >> part of the issue is that he was estranged from his father his whole life. he grew up in an orphanage. the question he was asked is do you have any close resident relatives that were convicted of a crime and he said no. >> it's on tuesday and prosecutors have recommended probation with no prison time. >> was there crossing of words there? you can understand passion from both sides but hearing that yes. >> early skies and mild temperatures continue. my furniture is on my >> very nice! audrey will tell us all about the weekend and how it shapes up. curtis is threatening to run for queensboro president. >> he is such a troublemaker! that, when we come back good morning. across the tri-state. we have readings in the 20

at issue is a jury, michael vargas was part of the jury that convicted liang two months ago. now he's being grilled for failing to disclose that his own father has been convicted of about anti police facebook posts to show he was not a fair juror to begin with. liang's defense lawyer said you lied during jury selection didn't you? vargas answered that's your opinion. this hearing lasted a lot longer that many expected. one of the possibilities here is that the judge can throw out the trial or that the judge will conclude that despite these writings and comments it was a fair trail, a fair verdict and sentencing will take place when it is now scheduled for tuesday april 18th. live outside of court in downtown brooklyn, andrew siff. one of the strangers he shot breaks down in tears. explaining the memories he can never erase. >>> plus, a grandmother trapped in the woods for nine days with no food new york city watt , no water and no direction. >>> we made the 50s today. the temperatures will just keep rising beyond this. the problem is the nighttime. i'll let you know what you

michael vargas said no one in his family had been later he admitted that his estranged father was sent to prison for manslaughter in the accidental shooting of a friend is not an impartial juror. he is not an honest man . >> he said he was asked of a close resident relatives were convicted and he said he was never convicted with his father and he grew up in orphanages. he made a comment after he left the courthouse. liang sentencing has moved next week . da recommends probation without present on. >> the ongoing corruption probe has been moved. he was the head of patrol for manhattan north . . for other senior police officials were said reassign. no charges have been filed. he says he was in the chart target of the probe . still head on "good day early call" , sunny skies and beautiful temperatures. people are cutting back on soda. healthier choices out there. soft drink sales fizzle . how restaurant sales are taking a hit , coming back. >> alright guys. i want to show you some cutting edge technology. this is a vhs tape. push that tape in and hit play. this is a flip phone. have you s

they say juror michael vargas his father spent time in prison for the same crime. >>> a formal investigation into the nypd. the department has now reassigned administrative duty. the mayor insists he will not accept campaign donations from the men. just a short time ago, the mayor said he's willing to offer help to the justice department. >>> now to decision 2016. the democratic presidential candidates back in the big apple today boasting some big endorsements while hillary clinton took a nod from the daily news. bernie sanders showed up at a picket line. we're live with all of the details. >> reporter: dave, bernie sanders is on that picket line as we speak in brookl . he's joined the striking verizon workers who've been on strike he has argued that unions are the backbone of a thriving middle class. take a listen. >> tell corporate america they cannot have it all! you're telling corporate america that workers in this country are not going to be continued to push down and down and down. >> reporter: meanwhile, earlier this morning, he was with another union, the transit workers union, look

the judge must decide if michael vargas lied during jury selection. he was juror no. 9 for the trial for the shooting death of akai gurley. attorneys ask the him if anyone close to him had ever been convicted of a crime. he revealed after the trial was over that his father, seen in a picture he posted on his facebook page back in january, had been convicted of manslaughter. vargas said he never knew his father nor had a relationship with him. it was enough for the attorney to ask for the conviction to be overturned. >> i think we showed today that mr. vargas is not an impartial juror, that he's got a strong anti-cop bias, and sad to say, i think we showed he's not an honest man. >> reporter: defense motions resume tomorrow in brock oklyn at 2:15. as for the sentencing of liang that was supposed to happen tomorrow, that's been postponed for a week. christina: all right. thank you very much. we're joined by a criminal defense attorney who's been practicing for over 30 years now. jury no. 9, michael vargas? was he lying? >> if you look at the interchange

inside the stairwell of brooklyn's pink houses a year and a half ago, but the issue now is juror michael vargas. it has come to light that vargas didn't disclose during jury selection that his own father had been convicted of man manslaughter he was grilled yesterday about some facebook posts which many construe as anti-police. made him biased during the deliberations and whether he was able to sway some of his other jurors. the judge is expected to make his determination about whether that verdict from february stands as the hearing continues later on today. for now, the sentencing for peter liang is scheduled for tuesday. we'll have a full update later today. we are live outside the courthouse. andrew siff, news 4 new york. >> thank you. >>> members of the fight for 15 labor movement are just wrapping up, a second in a series of radillies today. earlier today chopper 4 got this view, they were outside of a mcdonald's demanding what they called a living wage and they were on east 42nd street and that was where republican presidential debates. >>> governor cuomo has released a new list of recom

. >>> juror michael vargas did not intentionally lie when he failed to inform the court that his own father faced charges of mnz. gurley's family was relieved by the judge's decision. >> they want him to not be held now justice, the judge made the right decision. >> he's going to be sentenced. we don't know how he's going to sentence him. normally in these cases 95% of the time the judge does follow the district attorney's recommendation. >> now, liang got 15 years of prison but the attorney has recommended probation instead. >>> one day after his arrest on criminal charges, christopher st. lawrence and the former development director are charged with 22 counts of federal securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy. they're tied to financing for the town's baseball stadium and other projects. >>> tomorrow we'll learn more about the sealed evidence against sheldon silver. the district court judge will unseal the documents because they are relevant to his >>> and crews are still working to restore power after an underground cable fire caused a blackout. we just checked and two rutgers

the ruling was postponed earlier this month after michael vargas, a juror on the panel which convicted le yang, admitted his own father was convicted of a phil similar crime. the judge ruled vargas did not intentionally lie to the court and the verdict would stand. le yang faces up to 15 years from prison. the district attorney has proposed probation and six months house arrest. a suggestion supporters agree with. one that gurley's family cannot stand behind. >> you hoodwinked us. people of color. your kind. hear from both the prosecution and the defense before making the ruling at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon. >>> one woman is dead is a neighbor hurt after a fire ripped through a home in brooklyn. flames erupted inside a 3-story house on fenmore street. the cause of the fire is under investigation but at this point it does not appear suspicious. >>> police arrested a new rochelle man suspected in the campus square. it started with a confrontation at a student event sunday night. students were told to stay in as police flooded the campus looking for a possible armed man. charges are pendin

peter liang's attorney says michael vargas lied during jury selection when he said no one in his family had a criminal history. vargas later reportedly told a newspaper his father went to prison for accidental shooting and that police should be treated the same way. >> the defendant is entitled to not 11. >> today, vargas told the court he was not close to his father and did not know about his past. >>> the head of the city's police watchdog agency has resigned. richard emery was appointed to the civilian complaint review board in 2014, by mayor de blasio. resignation comes a day after is -- he was accused of making a gender-based slur in a lawsuit filed by the agency's executive director. in a statement, the mayor said i want to thank richard for his service to the city. over the past two years, the ccrb has resolved cases much more quickly and efficiently. meantime, police union leader patrick lynch said, our hope is that whoever replaces him will be a fair-minded and reasonable person who has a basis respect for police officers. the mayor has hired a lawyer and the corruption investi

that after the defense had objected saying one of the jurors in the case michael vargas had lied. vargas was on the stand for two days and was questioned repeatedly about why he failed to disclose that his own father had been convicted of manslaughter. peter liang, of course, is the former rookie nypd officer who killed unarmed akai gurley inside the stairwell of a brooklyn housing development in november of 2014. as for the juror, today prosecutors questioned him and asked, quote, you took it very seriously, meaning this case? he said, yes, i did. he said, i believe i did, yes. you thought about it? he said yes. you cried about it? he said, yes, that's true. outside court the family of akai gurley reacted with relief. >> accountability. he shot someone! there was negligence. he walked over the body, walked on his blood. no cpr, he did not all the ambulance! >> they wanted it to be a mistrial. they wanted peter liang to not be held accountable for anything. that's the message that the defense is trying to send. but now justice, the judge made the right decision. >> he's going to b

liang's legal team argued juror michael vargas was not forthcoming about his father's criminal record. but the judge believed vargas the information. it involved the death of akai gurley. >>> police are trying to stop criminals who prey on the unsuspecting. they are establishing safe zones in yaphank for the public to complete transaction. parking lot cameras see everything with armed guards stationed inside the security booth. >> people who initiate these kind of transactions online come to one of these zones at the sheriff's office and conclude the transaction there sheriff's and cameras. >> if you do use the safe zone you don't have to contact the sheriff's office to let them know you're coming. and the deputies will not get something is going wrong. with brunch? recommended changes to the sunday blue laws. >> reporter: have you ever been to sunday brunch before and told that mimosa or bloody until noon? >> i was like what?! what do you mean you can't serve me before 12:00? >> you can't wake up without a sunday. >> it's asking too much of us. >> reporter: it's the law in new york s

jury no. 9, michael vargas? was he lying? >> if you look at the interchange between him and the court during the jury selection process, he was pretty cagey with the judge. he was asked if anybody close to him had been accused of a crime. he said something like none that made the papers. the judge asked him to clarify. he said, well, friends do silly things. the judge honed in on the issue and said what about any close family members, which he's saying his father wasn't close. he responded no. christina: yet he remembers this suddenly a couple of months later. >> a short time later. christina: he volunteers the information information. if you take that -- christina: the facebook post in which he said police officers are not being held accountable for violence. that's a nail in the coffin. >> put them together and they seem to indicate that he had an agenda in not disclosing one thing and disclosing it later. let me tell you, these claims not often successful. the issue is even if you find the misconduct, whether or not there'

they say a juror, michael vargas, did not reveal his father's prison record when he was asked in court during jury selection. >> you think the judge will throw out this case? >> i think there is an extremely strong argument for it. i think this is a huge concern for the prosecution and for actually the quest for justice. >> he's to be sentenced morrow. brooklyn's d.a. recommended probation and six months of house arrest. >>> right now, police in queens are warning residents to be on alert for a bold burglar. the burglar struck at least 16 tiismes since january using a rear window or door to get into homes. most of the burglaries were in the glenn oaks section. the thief typically takes jewelry and electronics. >>> just six days to go until new york's big presidential primary. major endorsement this morning. it's the daily news. picking her over senator bernie sanders. the ditorial board says it prefers her plan to help struggling families. at noon today, clinton may address that issue. that's when she's going to speak to the reverend al sharpton's national action network. >>> as for se

attorneys for peter liang claim it sure like during the selection process here 62-year- old michael vargas said no one in his family was ever accused of a crime. but it now appears his father spent seven years in prison for accidentally shooting a friend to death. liang was convicted of accidentally killing akai gurley in a dark stairwell at a brooklyn housing project. support tonight after she was vicious -- and viciously beaten. now there are calls for justice. 17-year-old warner is brain- dead, police say the result of a violent conversation -- confrontation outside her apartment building in coney island. warner may have fallen and hit her head during a fight. friends and community leaders who gathered tonight to pay tribute say others were involved and should be arrested. >> it feels like one of our children was snatched away from us because of the fact she's just a young child. >> this is murder. clearly, they snub that girl out with no remorse. >> sabrina ford is charged with attempted murder and assault. >>> new cell phone video shows the deadly tugboat accident last month by the ta

the juror is michael vargas. due ring liang's trial as we see him there, he said nobody in his close family had ever been accused of a crime. he later told the daily news that his father served time for a manslaughter charge that was decades ago. >> looking at the facts behind but judges are loath to set aside verdicts. it's going to be a tough road for them. >> there was a statement released saying liang received a fair trial and will respond to the motion in court. liang will be sentenced on april 14th. prosecutors recommending probation and house arrest. >>> checking in with dave price. chris, good morning. >> it's another chilly morning. s looking relatively nice right now. we're going to see clouds roll in as the day moves on. coming from the west and ushering in moisture that's part of our weather story through tomorrow. in dyker heights, 34 degrees. as you head out to hoboken, at the freezing mark. at green ridge at 28. widen the picture, we go cold. in the pine barrens, 13 degrees this morning. we still h

they will decide whether the -- at the center of the case is michael vargas, a juror at liang's trial. now accused of not telling the truth during jury selection. today. liang's sentencing has been pushed back until next week. >>> police say a man wanted for robbery of several stores at knifepoint struck again. now it's ten robberies in nine towns throughout nassau county, the most recent one at the carvel on pennsylvania boulevard. surveillance video shows the suspect. this is from march 1st. the video recorded outside of one six dunkin' donuts he allegedly robbed. he's accused of holding up a 7-eleven and a subway shop. a different man held up a dunkin' donuts in nassau county. last time friday night. on hillside avenue. police say the suspect robbed that location again yesterday. he used a mask and told the employee to empty the register. the suspect getting away with cash. nobody was hurt. >> 4:34. the 4s on this thursday morning. we're looking at 45 degrees raphi. >> good morning guys. another cool start but not too cold. we have colder spots to the west of town. we have a freeze

liang's attorneys say the juror, michael vargas, did not deveal to the court thaturis father had served time in prison before he was seated as juror in that trial. they have filed a motion now seeking a new trial. >> you think the judge will throw out this case? >> i think there's an extremely strong argument for t i think this is a huge concern for the prosecution. >> liang is set to be sentenced tomorrow. the brooklyn d.a., ken thompson, recommended that he receive probation and six months of >>> happening today, parents will be demanding answers for ineffective teachers put back into classrooms. they will rally at 10:30 this morning. they want information on the absent teacher reserve pool. that's the group from which substitute teachers aret chosen. many ended up there because of downsizing or performance issues. >>> local students will show off their inventions at the white house today. president obama is hosting his sixth and final white house science fair. this is video from last year. some students from manhattan will be there. they're going to show off a robot designed to clean

he is in the pink houses in the darkened stairwell in november. 62-year-old michael vargas lied to get on the panel by withholding information . he says he was asked for any close relatives if they were convicted of a crime. he said no and he said he was estranged from his father growing up in orphanages. >> the judge says he did not believe he hid the details. he upheld the manslaughter conviction and he is scheduled to be sentenced on tuesday. they have recommended probation with no prison time. >> it's 537. it's friday. it will be warmish . it's a nice friday with nice temperatures. it started off chilly.you might want to be layered up. sussex is checking and i well as new york city. we are in the mid-40s in the bronx. it's not giving a sequential at the moment. boston is checking in at 390 this morning. there was instances across central florida. it will continue to play that part. there is another low it's another one that is particularly of attention. it's blocking the area of high pressure and moving out to the east. it will keep us in the next weather pattern. they start to shi

. >> i think we have a picture of that juror, michael vargas, he's carpenter. this footage. >> that's officer liang. >> apparently, michael vargas' father went to jail for seven years for an accidental -- >> there he is, with the beard. >> this is the juror. defense attorneys say he lied. and not only that, they have found evidence this manmade anti-police statements on facebook. here's one of the defense attorneys. >> mr. vargas is not an impartial juror. he's got a strong anti-cop bias. and sad to say i think we showed he's not an honest man. >> well, just is so you know, mr. vargas did not comment when hearing continues today while liang's sentencing has been moved to next week. >> the district attorney has recommended probation for former officer liang, does not want to see him go to jail. this would appear to be a major break for him. >> meanwhile, there was a big shake-up at the civilian agency that provides oversight of the nypd. the chairman resigned yesterday after being accused of making sexist remarks. richard emery, and that's the woman who claims she was the object of the

the judge will meet with juror michael vargas. liang's attorneys want a retrial because vargas never admitted that his father served time. he didn't have it come to mind because he didn't know his father. >>> happening today, expect a big welcome as the mets play their first home game of the season. the mets host philadelphia at 1:10 this afternoon. the first game in flushing since game 5 of the world >>> when >>> we check the commute with debbie. >> thanks a lot, ken. we will go to the 6 train and tell you what is happening. bypassing at bleecker street. delays on the 5 with congestion. keep in mind heading to the f train, delays as well downtown with signal problems. watch for slowdowns heading to 78 eastbound at the garden state parkway. overturned truck in the local lanes 78 westbound an accident there as well. alternate side parking rules are in effect. back to you, ken. >> debbie, thank you. meteorologist bill evans has what is ahead in the weekend with the accuweather forecast report. >> it's chilly. starting out with temper

. >> reporter: michael vargas took the stand. at issue, when asked if anyone close to him had ever been but hours earlier in a same building in a different courtroom if a different jury pool, when asked the same question, vargas admitted his father had been con investigated, serving 7 years behind bars for an accidental shooting of his the defense arguing vargas wanted to make sure a cop did not walk for a similar type of shooting. and social media postings were shown showing vargas has a bias against cops. the bullet in this case ricocheted off a wall and struck gurley in the chest. >> we are disgusted with the justice system. >> reporter: gurley supporters meanwhile furious brooklyn da ken thompson has recommend nod jail time for le yang, saying the shooting was intentional. it is a case that has divided communities, with le yang supporters arguing the former >> the system is trying to make it a race issue. it is not a race issue. it is a human issue. a life was taken. an innocent life was taken. >> reporter: le yang is facing

michael vargas originally said committed of a crime but his father was sent to prison approximately shooting a friend to death. >> we saw today that mr. vargas is not an impartial juror. he has a strong impact and it he is not an honest man. >> steve: that will continue tomorrow. the officers now now sentenced to be sentenced next week. the judge will decide to -- >> dari: the city has made a priority to improve conditions at homeless shelters. the program promised to increase inspections and make much-needed repairs. the cd is teaming up with nonprofit group, breaking ground, to help get people off street. it is hired more than 100 outreach workers who are trained to deal with homeless in a humane manner. on the upswing. >> dari: first we have to get through a freeze warning in some parts of the area tonight. audrey is here with the details. >> it is a very cold evening and we are going to see a warm-up in our temperatures and it will feel more springlike into the end of the week. we do have temperatures a bit to below average for this time of year. high should be 60 degrees and we are a fe

his family history with the criminal justice system. 62-year-old michael vargas, apparently who had father accidentally shot somebody who went to jail for seven years. did not own up to that during voir dire, they call it. >> the judge, said he didn't believe mr. vargas knowingly hid the details. so he helped up mr. liang's manslaughter conviction. liang is scheduled to be sentenced on tuesday. prosecutors recommended probation with no prison time. so let's see what the judge does. >> mayor de blasio has a big problem on his hands. a corruption probe seems to be getting closer and closer. >> a hug with the guy that he said he really didn't know that well. >> those real estate developers corruption probe, close ties to mayor de blasio, maybe even closer than he has acknowledged in the past. let's go to stacy delikat. she has more outside of city hall. hi, stacy. >> reporter: good morning, greg and rosanna. mayor de blasio has been trying to distance himself from the corruption investigation all week. new details continue to emerge. "wall street journal" marist poll show his approval r

michael vargas, a juror, is being questioned. he's accused of not telling the truth during jury selection. liang's sentencing has been pushed back until next week. >>> a man wanted for robbing several stores on long island at he has now been linked to ten robberies in nine towns throughout nassau county. see the map there. the most recent at a carvel in hewlett. police released surveillance video. this is the march 1st. the video recorded outside one of six dunkin' donuts stars he allegedly robbed. he's accused of holding up april 7-eleven and april subway. a different man used a knife to hold up april dunkin' donuts in nassau county. 276 hillside avenue in williston park. they say he ronde the same location yesterday. in both occasions, he used a mags being. >>> 5:34. time for a check of weather and traffic. raphael miranda is in this morning. >> another storm-free day and chilly start. especially west of town. we have the freeze warning in effect once again for the counties shaded in purple. it's reflected on a temperature map.

they didn't know until they read the article that the father of that juror, michael vargas, served time in prison for shooting a friend z. this may have made him biased toward liang, and they're calling for a retrial, in the jury selection, asking vargas, have you or anyone close to you been accused of a crime? and he said, i'm talking about clops family or yourself, vargas responds, no, no. the document went on to say that a juror who lies his way onto the jury, is he suggested that the police officers get away with violence. the brooklyn district attorney's office said: we reached out and varg agency said that he spoke to anyone but the judge. he faces up to 15 years in prison, and the prosecutor has requested a sentence of house arrest, community service and probation. >> all right, thank you so much. >>> still ahead, turned away. refugees being deported from greece are being sent back to turkey and they're specking out on how they're being treated. stay with us. >> the eu i, the flow of migrants has not stopped. >> you hear it before you see it. anxiety, exhaustion, desperation. so

the judge will meet with juror michael vargas. liang's attorney wants the verdict set aside because vargas didn't say his father served time. >>> republican party leaders have new reason donald trump. a poll shows 7 out of 10 americans have a negative opinion of trump and shared by nearly half of republican voters and in the south where he scored his biggest victories. the associated press poll puts it as unprecedented high among every race, gender and political viewpoint. >>> house speaker paul ryan is dismissing a flood of rumors that he plans to jump into the republican race. accept the g.o.p. nomination in a contested convention and he feels the eventually nominee should be someone that ran this year. >>> bernie sanders campaign manager said it could end with a contested convention. there are 18 delegates up for grabs tomorrow in the wyoming democratic caucuses. sanders will meet with the hosts of the view today at 11:00. you can see that here on channel 7. >>> expect a packed house as the defending mets play the home opener t

an 11th hour bid by his defense to force a mistrial arguing michael vargas lied to get on the jury. withholding his father's shooting by police. now, in most cases the judge will go along with the d.a.'s recommendation. cases. it will be an emotional day for both sides. in ecuador. why first responders are worried as the death toll continues to rise. >> a manhunt is underway in texas after a mother was murdered in a church and the suspect was caught on camera wearing tactical gear? a city in new jersey at owns -- at odds with the opener of an art gallery. >> the sun's display a nice and warm right now. 72, 74 down the jersey shore. some really nice weather here with 72 newark, 72 jamaica, queens. wind out there. >> we have exclusive video of police arresting more than two dozen people in east harlem in what's being described as a major gang takedown. the nypd and fbi conducted a joint series of raids at the a.m. the arrests were the result of a year's long investigation. we are told the suspects are connected to about a dozen murders and more than two dozen shootings involving drugs

liang's attorneys said the father of that juror, michael vargas, spent time in prison for accidentally shooting a friend. they are calling for a retrial. in this court document liang's attorneys quote the judge during jury selection, asking vargas, have you or anyone close to you been accused of a crime? after back and forth the judge said, i'm talking about close family or yourself. vargas responds, no, no. a person who lies his way onto a jury is a strange are in the jury room. posts like this one that vargas made on facebook before the trial, suggests he thinks police officers get away with violence. asked about the request for a retrial, the be spokesman for the brooklyn city attorney's office said, we will respond to the motion in court. we reached out to vargas, he told us he wouldn't speak to anyone except the judge. faces up to 17 years in prison but john the prosecutor has requested a sentence of house arrest, community service and probation. >> all right roxana, thank you. >>> determined orisk it all. and treating heroin adecision, an old painkiller could be anew alternative.

attorneys for liang had argued that juror michael vargas lied about having a family member accused of a crime so he could get on the jury for liang's trial but it was later revealed that vargas' father was convicted for accidentally shooting a friend to death. vargas testified before the court for the last two days saying he didn't lie, that he did not hate police. the judge bluntly said he didn't feel the 67-year-old was bright enough to lie his way on to a jury and then ruled the verdict will stand. akai gurley's family says the judge's ruling is a small victory. liang's family says he will appeal the ruling. >> obviously, we're very decision to deny the motion to vacate the verdict, but i thought there was sufficient evidence there where vargas was ducking questions and he is not forthcoming with answers. >> they wanted it to be a mistrial. [ yelling ] >> they wanted peter liang to not be held accountable for anything! that's the message that the defense is trying to send! that's the message that they "thought" they was going to send. but now, justice -- the judge made the right de

>>reporter: michael vargas says he didn't do anything wrong when he was questioned prior to serving on the jury that convicted former nypd officer peter liang. court documents show vargas was asked, have you or anyone very close to you been accused of a crime. his answer, not that i know of. later the judge says i'm talking about close family or yourself. vargas' response, no, no. however, vargas did not mention his now-deceased father had served time for an accidental shooting. in orphanages says it never occurred to him. >> mr. vargas never raised me. he wasn't my father. in my mind i don't have parents. >>reporter: liang's attorneys are also pointing at facebook posts that they consider anti- police as a possible reason vargas would have wanted to be on the jury. >> that it makes me laugh because to tell you the truth they failed their case. >>reporter: the d.a. this morning says they believe liang did get a fair trial. they will answer this motion in court, and they are asking for six months house arrest at his sentencing next week. we're live in downtown brooklyn this morning, i'm

attorneys filed a motion stating that juror michael vargas lied to the court, quote, we now know that mr. vargas' father was convicted of manslaughter for shooting a friend and served more than seven years in prison." the exchange between the court and 62-year-old vargas during the selection process went like this. the court: have you or anyone prospective juror, probably yes, but none that -- none comes to mind? none that have made the paperser, i don't think. anyone come to mind? well, all my friends, you know, through the years, you meet friends and they do silly things. i'm talking about close family or yourself. >> no. no. >> but in a published interview after the verdict, vargas mentioned his father's conviction. the same conviction as liang prompting defense attorneys to file this motion. the defense also notes vargas' 2014 facebook postings about police officers not being held accountable for violence. they say this suggests a broader motive for his willingness to lie to get on the jury. no one was home at his brooklyn address today. >> it is exceptionally rare. >> reporter: c

liang's lawyers said they didn't know that the father of that juror, michael vargas, spent time in prisonting a friend np could have caused bias. >> asking vargas, have you or anyone very close to you been accused of a crime? after a brief back and forth the judge elaborated i'm talking about close family or yourself. vargas responds, no, no. the document goes on to say, if a juror lies his way on to a jury, before the trial suggests he thinks police officers get away with violence. asked about the request for a retrial, a spokesman for brooklyn district attorney's office said: roxana saberi, al jazeera new york. >> this morning a new lawsuit is alleging racketeering in the flint water crisis. the class action lawsuit names rick snyder and members of his administration. cutting corners to solve the city's financial problems. >> it's beyond tragic. it's a catastrophe beyond anyone in this room's comprehension. i'm dumbfounded, i'm numed by thnumbed inthe situation in fli. >> danger that was created by the state and one that now affects future generations by exposing unborn children to lead

they found juror michael vargas did not intentionally lie when he did not inform the court his own father was convicted of manslaughter. >> liang cannot be held accountable for anything, but now justice, the judge will make the right decision. >> normally the judge, 95% of the time, the judge does follow the district attorney's recommendation. >> liang faces up to 15 years in prison. but the brooklyn d.a. recommended probation. >>> 5:10 right now. in the cnbc money report, delta airlines feeling generous. they're getting rid of the 25 d fee for customers. that's only if you book a flight over the phone. d fee if you book a trip in person at the airport. other airlines including american -- united and jetblue, they still charge fees for reservations made over the phone. if there's any human interaction there's a price for it. >> absolutely. >> they want you to do everything online. >> they really do. >>> getting around this summer could be strict i. we'll tell you which commuter services plan to reduce rides. >>> why mike piazza is happy after a jersey he wore was auctioned off. weather an

his lawyer argued juror michael vargas should have revealed his father served time for manslaughter. the judge said he didn't believe vargas intentionally withheld that. liang will be sentenced tuesday. the brooklyn d. a. has recommended serving probation. >>> mayor de blasio's job approval rating sinks to an all time low. just 35% of people think de blasio's doing an excellent or good job. 62% think he's doing fair or poor. a majority also say the city is headed in the wrong direction. de blasio is up for reelection next year. >>> now let's get over to john with that weekend forecast. >>> it is the weekend. we are ready and the weather doesn't change that much. clear and 44 in the city right now. winds are couple. that said it's cool circling the city. 30 in franklin down to madison. patchy frost tonight. that's been the pattern all week. sayville cold at 28. but high pressure in control. so it's a beautiful finish to the workweek. lots of sun. a little bit of a northeast wind will keep long island cooler. get outside and enjoy your saturday. take advantage of it. or if sunday is yo

the attorney says juror michael vargas lied when he said no one in his family had a criminal history. >> the defendant is entitled to 12 impartial jurors, not 11. >> liang's attorney claims vargas lied to secure a seat on the jury. >>> after a series of scandals ahead of the city's police watchdog agency has resign. richard emory was appointed to the civilian complaint review board in 2014 by mayor de blasio. hess resignation yesterday comes one day after he was accused of making a gender- based slur in a lawsuit filed by the agency's exclusive director. after complaints from police unions about his public comments. in a statement the mayor said i want to thank richard for his service to the city over the past two years. the ccrb has resolved cases much more quickly and efficiently. meanwhile police union leader patrick lynch said our hope is that whoever replaces him will be a fair-minded and reasonable person who has a basic respect for police officers. >>> police are on the hunt for a thief connected to more than a dozen burglaries in queens. the nypd released a surveillance photo

vargas. >>> and i'm david ushery. fairfield, connecticut. news4's michael george in the news room with more information. >> david, sacred heart eight confirmed cases with mumps with nine more probable cases and there's one confirmed case at another connecticut university. the fear right now is the outbreak could be spreading. muches is a highly contagious res pla toir disease. students who show symptoming should be isolated for five days. the cases started popping up a month ago but now they're warning everyone at say credited heart to check their vaccination records and make sure they've had the mumps vaccination. it's tiply 88% effective in preventing mumps. but most people fully recover. all of the students who have confirmed cases have already recovered. michael george, news4 new york. >>> college students are very vulnerable to highly contagious disease. harvard is dealing with an outbreak right now. 40 students have been infected since last march. two local universities experienced outbreaks. eight students at ford hamm contracted the disease. you can

vargas. that fire was fanned by winds off the ocean. part of the building came crashing down. >> firefighters were inside. michael george is live in key port, new jersey, with the frantic moments and what may have ignited that inferno. >> reporter: chuck, three buildings filled with businesses and apartments now turned to nothing but a pile of rubble. they've had to demolish what's left to keep the fire from sparking up again. tonight we can show you new video demonstrating the moment when one of the buildings collapse and we spoke to a man who says he may know what started this fire. >> we've got guys down. urgent. mayday. >> reporter: a worst-case this building when suddenly it collapses. >> mayday, mayday! >> pretty intense. flames were pretty high. >> all units clear the area. >> reporter: here's the collapse from a different angle, six firefighters were injured battling the fire but thankfully all expected to survive. >> it was a miracle, dutd. >> reporter: the fire quickly overtook three buildings our offices are totalled. haven't determined the exact cause. people who live here are grateful the fire was co

they said a juror michael lied to get on the panel by withholding information about his father's criminal past. vargas told "daily news" that his father spent seven years in prison for accidental shooting, manslaughter, same charge that lee yang was facing and asked if there were any close relatives convict a crime and hes answered no because he said frankly i have never close with with my family i grew up in orphanages -- >> he has questions and not coming with answers. you know, kept playing with words and stuff. but always appeals court now. >> judge danny said he didn't not know he knowingly upheld those details so we have to see what happens here. about a week. >> and a new video that has had surfaced show may or your de blasio meeting with one of the two men at the center of a investigation. this video shows jeremy meeting outside the borough park home back in 2014. de blasio can be seen hug hadding him hosting a fundraiser or for may or your. according to "times" this this is part of the ongoing corruption investigation involving him and jonah who raised tens of thousands for funds or for mayor