COVID-19 temporarily upended Jan. 24 the horse doping trial of Dr. Seth Fishman and Lisa Giannelli — who are among the 27 race horse professionals, including prominent trainers, charged in the case.
As the trial's second week began, testimony was delayed after it was revealed that Giannelli's trial attorney had tested positive for the disease before the trial was to resume Monday.
Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil then declared a mistrial on Giannelli's behalf because her attorney Louis Fasulo wouldn't be able to return to court for at least ten days.
“I can't have a jury on ice for ten days,” she said.
Fishman's attorneys also requested a mistrial but Vyskocil didn't rule on their motion right away. She said she was considering resuming the trial with Fishman as the only defendant.
The judge said in any event there would be no testimony in the case Monday.
The trial opened Jan. 19 with jury selection followed by two days of opening statements and testimony from three witnesses. Prosecutor Anden Chow told the jury Fishman and Giannelli had for two decades operated a “black market drug business” that peddled to horse trainers around the country performance enhancing drugs that were administered to horses on race days and that couldn't be detected by horse racing commissions in post-race testing.
Most of the testimony the jury has heard came from the government's first witness, a 34-year-old woman named Courtney Adams who worked at Fishman's South Florida business for five years until 2017. She said Fishman was fixated on creating drugs that were untestable.
FIshman attorney Maurice Sercarz told the jury his client's actions were in accordance with his veterinary oath to protect the safety and welfare of animals. Fasulo said Giannelli didn't believe she was doing anything wrong while working for Fishman.
Giannelli is facing one count of misbranding conspiracy, and Fishman is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit drug adulteration and misbranding. Prosecutors say the 11 trainers charged in the case acted to win lucrative purses without regard to the health of their horses.
Both Fishman and Giannelli are out on bail and were in court Monday.
The U.S. District Court in New York has implemented numerous COVID-19 protocols to avoid outbreaks. The witness stand has been outfitted with a HEPA-filtered plexiglass box. There's also a HEPA-filtered plexiglass box for lawyers to use when they question witnesses. Masks are required of everyone in the courtroom, including the judge, but witnesses and lawyers can remove them if they are using those boxes.
Over the weekend courthouse officials implemented a new protocol, requiring that lawyers and witnesses needed to take a rapid PCR test if they intended to remove their masks while using the boxes.
It was when Fasulo took the test in accordance with the new protocol that he learned of the positive result.
He showed up the courtroom briefly and then left. He spoke to the judge via an audio hookup.
His symptoms appeared mild. He told Vyskocil he had a “tickle in his throat.”
“I don't know what we're going to do. I feel terrible,” Fasulo said before consenting to the mistrial.
Giannelli's new trial date hasn't been set.
Fishman attorney Marc Fernich said a mistrial was warranted for his client given the positive COVID test. He said the trial's start had revealed differences between Fishman and Giannelli regarding their defense strategies.
“The defense has a right to have a trial with a clean slate,” Fernich said.
Still awaiting trial is Jason Servis whose horse Maximum Security finished first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby only to be taken down for interfering with another horse. Prosecutors have accused Servis of doping dozens of horses in his barn, including Maximum Security.
The Thoroughbred industry's leading publications are working together to cover this key trial.
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