Dismissed Juror Speak

DISMISSED JUROR SPEAKS: N.Y. Times’ DealBook reporter Peter Lattman got hold of dismissed juror Donna Gianell, who was removed from the panel for the Terra Firma-Citigroup trial by Judge Jed Rakoff earlier this week. “I read that Citibank was scared of me,” said Gianell, a physical therapist who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. “Scared of little ‘ol me? I’m 5-foot-2!” Gianell claims she wasn’t even aware she was in the credits to Michael Moore’s movie until she read about it. Apparently the N.Y. Post ran a feature on the economic challenges facing professional Santa Clauses, a job performed by Gianell’s husband, Ken Romo. Moore’s crew saw the article and contacted the two to film a scene that never made it into the documentary. Gianell also insisted she never discussed the case with fellow jurors in the elevator, the reason Rakoff gave for her dismissal. “I really admire Judge Rakoff,” she said. “He’s got humanity, a great sense of humor, and he really knows his stuff.” Gianell, who has traveled the world working as a circus performer, a showgirl and a choreographer, said she enjoyed her jury service.“It was a new experience for me, so I embraced it,” she said. “That’s how I go about life.” (11/3p)