This is what the JSON looks like:
[{
\"pmid\": \"2\",
\"name\": \" MANAGEMENT\",
\"result\": \"1\",
\"properties\": [
{
\
As in posted json String jsonStr is JSONArray of JSONObeject's instead of JOSNObject of JSONArray.
So convert jsonStr String to JSONArray:
JSONArray jArray = new JSONArray(jsonStr);
JSONObject c = jArray.getJSONObject(0);
// get properties JSONArray from c
JSONArray jArrProperties = c.getJSONArray("properties");
JSONObject jsonObject = jArrProperties.getJSONObject(0);