New London Superior Court Judge Barbara Bailey Jongbloed dismissed a juror from deliberating in the murder trial of Miguel “Mikey” Vega Friday morning after the juror disclosed that he had received a phone call about the case.  

The judge seated an alternate, bringing the panel back up to 12 members, and deliberations were expected to resume Friday afternoon.

After receiving a note from the jury about the phone call, the judge questioned the juror individually and decided, with agreement from attorneys for the state and Vega, that he should be discharged.  

The male juror did not disclose the identity of the caller and acted “very guarded” about the person, according to testimony. The caller told him he should remain fair and impartial about the case, according to testimony.

“Obviously someone found out he was on the jury and went out of their way to call him,” said State’s Attorney Michael L. Regan. “... He’s guarded about protecting this person, and this person might be closer to him than he lets on.”

Defense attorney Robert F. Kappes said that potential bias stemming from the phone call could harm either side.

The remaining jurors, questioned individually, said they stopped deliberations and sent a note to the judge after the juror told them he had received a phone call about the case.

One juror said someone had called their fellow juror on his cellphone while he was waiting in the jury assembly room Friday morning and told him he had been recognized in the jury box.

All of the jurors confirmed that the panel did not discuss the content of the phone call and said they could continue to be fair.

Vega, 32, is on trial for the March 3, 2010, shooting death of 21-year-old Rahmel Perry and the non-fatal shooting of Michael Ellis Jr.

The state alleges that after Vega “got the worst” of a barroom brawl with Perry and Ellis, he and another gunman forced their way into an apartment where the victims were gathered with friends and began shooting.

Members of Perry and Vega’s family watched most of the trial from separate sides of the courtroom.

Members of Vega’s family were in court Friday morning as the jury was to begin its first full day of deliberations.

k.florin@theday.com

Twitter: @KFLORIN