【2005 Archives】

When you're as publicly reviled as Martin Shkreli is005 Archives finding a dozen of your peers who aren't predisposed to hate your guts can be a tall order.

The "pharma bro," who first rose to infamy when he hiked the price of a life-saving AIDS drug by 5,000 percent, was convicted of securities fraud earlier this month--a charge completely unrelated to his more notorious exploits.

That didn't stop hundreds of would-be jurors from taking the opportunity to skirt jury duty by ripping on Shkreli before the trial even started. The jury selection process quickly devolved into a Comedy Central-style roast.

Harper's Magazinepublished the full transcript of the proceedings, so we decided to pull out the public's best burns and present them to you below.

1. "I think he’s a greedy little man"

This one is more of an objective fact.

2. "When I walked in here today I looked at him, and in my head, that’s a snake — not knowing who he was. I just walked in and looked right at him and that’s a snake."

There is something about Shkreli that really seems to put people off.

3. "I don’t think I can because he kind of looks like a dick."

He does have what might be described as a very punchable face.

4. I would honestly, like, seriously like to go over there and —

The Harper'stranscript doesn't say so, but this seems to be the point at which other news reports describe a prospective juror miming the act of wringing the defendant's neck.

5. "I believe the defendant is the face of corporate greed in America."

Many people related their inability to judge fairly to personal experiences with expensive drugs.

6. "The only thing I’d be impartial about is what prison this guy goes to."

Points for honesty.

7. "And he disrespected the Wu-Tang Clan."

Shkreli famously bought the only existing copy of a Wu Tang special-release album, then beefed with various members of the group about it.

Case closed.

(Editor: {typename type="name"/})