Thunder Down Under Robbed: Judge Declares Mistrial in Case
A Las Vegas judge declared a mistrial Wednesday in the case against a man who attempted to rob the Australian male revue group Thunder Down Under. Defendant Joey Kadmiri was accused of firing a gun backstage and trying to run off with makeup and props from the show on March 18.
The 24-year-old faced nine felony burglary, robbery, battery and weapon charges from the incident at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino on the Vegas Strip. The show's emcee suffered from powder burns on his face, and another performer incurred minor injuries. Several of the dancers restrained Kadmiri until officers arrived.
During the witness questioning, Tomsheck tried to prove that Kadmiri did not steal the items while seen around the casino. Kadmiri was wearing a Sydney Fire Department shirt, just like the dancers wear, but his attorney assured that the same shirt is available in the gift shop. However, prosecutors countered that Kadmiri was also wearing two pairs of underwear, one his and another that belonged to a performer.
Police also found 2.1 grams of methamphetamine on Kadmiri at arrest. He later admitted he was high when the incident occurred.
The Clark County judge Jerry Tao declared a mistrial after jurors told him they had watched television reports on the case and were concerned about "gray areas." Defense attorney Josh Tomsheck filed for a mistrial, claiming, "You cannot have a group of jurors that discuss the quality and quantity of the evidence."
Tao had warned jurors not to watch or read any coverage on the case, but when released, he didn't appear too concerned about the jury conversing about details of the case.
"My admonishment is don't discuss the facts of this case with each other, and don't reach any conclusion about this case. And technically, whether they're on TV or not, is not a factor in the case," Tao said. "However, once they're saying things like, 'It's a gray area.' ... That's a violation of the 'don't discuss the facts of this case with each other.'"
Tao scheduled a status hearing on July 17.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!