The judge overseeing the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Johns Hopkins All Children's civil case made famous by a Netflix documentary determined there was no juror misconduct during the eight-week trial, Fox 13 reported Jan. 3.
Judge Hunter Carroll interrogated Paul Lengyel, a member of the six-person jury in the case, regarding issues raised by the hospital's defense team, which include whether Mr. Lengyel shared details of the case with his wife; whether Mr. Lengyel failed to disclose his involvement in a Broward County child welfare case on a jury questionnaire, potentially influencing his views on the Florida Department of Children and Families, the agency involved in placing Maya Kowalski under Johns Hopkins All Children's care; and whether Mr. Lengyel provided misleading information by claiming no knowledge of attorney Debra Salisbury, who allegedly represented his wife in a 2007 domestic relations proceeding.
After listening to the responses, Mr. Carroll concluded that the juror had not infringed upon any court orders.
"At the end of the day, the defense has failed to demonstrate any juror misconduct," the judge said after the interview. "The court will deny the motion for a new trial based on juror misconduct."
The decision comes shortly after the jury ruled on Nov. 9 that Johns Hopkins had falsely imprisoned and battered 10-year-old Maya Kowalski in 2016. The verdict included findings of inflicting emotional distress on the Kowalski family and contributing to Maya's mother's suicide. The decision garnered international attention, partly due to its portrayal in a Netflix documentary titled "Take Care of Maya," which was released in June.
The documentary has garnered millions of views.