US court upholds designer Anand Jon's conviction

A court in Los Angeles, US, has upheld the conviction of India-born fashion designer Anand Jon for sexual assault and denied a request for a new trial despite ruling that a juror had improperly contacted the defendant's sister.

The lawyers for Jon had requested for new trial citing the misconduct but the County judge ruled that the juror's contact with the defendant's sister before the verdict did not prevent the designer from getting a fair trial.

Defense lawyers alleged that Juror Alvin Dymally twice reached out to Jon's sister Sanjana near the end of the trial, possibly seeking a date, and then voted for a conviction after she refused to meet him alone, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Jon, 35, was convicted on 16 counts of rape and other charges last year after allegations that he lured aspiring models to Los Angeles and sexually assaulted them.

Seen as a rising talent in the fashion industry, the Beverly Hills designer worked with celebrities like Paris Hilton and Mary J Blige and appeared on the TV show America's Next Top Model before his arrest in 2007.

Dymally had insisted that his contact with Sanjana Jon came after the trial.

Prosecutors said they believed Dymally did speak to her before the verdict but said a fresh trial cannot be granted on such flimsy grounds, the paper said.

Jon's sentencing has been set for next month, with contempt hearings for his sister and Dymally to follow in September.