The #juror explained that aspects of her being part of the jury are now out in #public. She said she was concerned about people knowing her identity.

The juror is worried about what has already been reported about her publicly. She said she had friends, colleagues & family conveying to her that she had been identified as a potential juror.

#Trump #criminal #law #intimidation #harassment #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

We are down to 6 jurors, & apparently waiting to hear from another, juror 4. The judge is addressing the #NewsMedia, saying there is a reason #reporters are taking measures to keep the #jury #anonymous.

It “kind of defeats the purpose of that" when so much information is #publicized about them.

#media #Trump #criminal #law #intimidation #harassment #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

"There's a reason this is an #anonymous #jury & why we have taken the steps we have taken," Justice #Merchan says, asking that the #press "abide common sense," & avoid physical descriptions.

Merchan says we lost a #juror who he thinks would have "been a very good juror."

"I'm directing the press to refrain from writing anything you observe w/your eyes & hear w/your ears that's not on the record," the judge says.

#media #Trump #criminal #law #intimidation #harassment #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

Joshua Steinglass, a Manhattan DA office prosecutor, suggested that prospective #jurors not be asked to answer who their current & previous employers are, to better anonymize them.

The judge says it's a great suggestion.

It was the juror questionnaire, which was not created by the #press, that included a question about employers.

#media #Trump #criminal #law #intimidation #harassment #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

The #defense is objecting to skipping the question about current & past employers.
"That's not fair," #Trump atty Susan Necheles said of being denied the info.

#Merchan asks the #press not to report the answers to questions 3a & 3d on the #juror questionnaire: "Who is your current employer?" & "Who was your prior employer?"

"I have the #legal authority to do it,” he says of blocking the press from reporting info about jurors' employers.

#media #criminal #law #intimidation #harassment

Justice #Merchan says the questions about employers are necessary. But he directs prospective jurors' answers to be #redacted from the transcript & #reporters to not report them.

Christopher Conroy, one of the Manhattan DA prosecutors, is now arguing that #Trump has continued to violate the #GagOrder that was placed on him. [ya think?]

"It's ridiculous & has to stop," he says.

#media #criminal #law #intimidation #harassment #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

#Trump defense is saying that reposting statements from others should not violate the #GagOrder, echoing Trump's own defense of his statements for years.

Conroy notes that Trump posted on social media quoting Jesse Watters on Fox News appearing to attack the prospective #jurors, saying they were activists trying to get on the jury to harm Trump. He underscores that they are asking #Merchan to hold Trump "in contempt."

#Trump #criminal #law #intimidation #harassment #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

Emil Bove, one of Trump's lawyers, says #Trump is simply responding to "political attacks" when he criticizes #MichaelCohen, his fmr atty & #fixer, who's a key trial #witness.

#Merchan makes no immediate ruling on possible violation of the #GagOrder, saying he will wait for a hearing scheduled for April 23.

So yeah, Trump is certain to spend the time before then posting crap that will test the gag order's limits.

#criminal #law #intimidation #harassment #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

A Manhattan DA prosecutor, Joshua Steinglass, said that #juror 4 or someone w/ their name seems to have been #arrested in the 1990s in Westchester for tearing down #political ads. After some more research, he says, they also found that the juror's wife was previously involved in a #corruption inquiry & cooperated w/ the DA's office. This means that the juror, if they've identified the right person, #lied in response to one of the questions on the questionnaire.

#Trump #criminal #law #TrumpTrial

#Merchan is now saying that the DA’s office came across information about juror #4 that called the veracity of that juror's answers into questions. The juror did not arrive at court on time.

The judge notes that the #juror was asked to be here at 9:15 & is still not here, & he expressed some reluctance to come in this morning. He is letting the parties discuss whether to dismiss the juror or wait for him.

#Trump #criminal #law #intimidation #harassment #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

They are bringing in a new group of 96 prospective #jurors. This group has already been sworn in, & will soon go through the winnowing process, starting w/ Justice #Merchan asking them to raise their hands if they feel they cannot be fair to #Trump.

Reporters will be more careful in offering physical descriptions of the jurors after the judge's warning & earlier juror dismissal.

#media #Trump #criminal #law #intimidation #harassment #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

The #press is barred from covering aspects of the trial related to the #jury, for understandable #security reasons. At the same time, the judge is taking another 5 days to hold a hearing on whether #Trump has violated the #GagOrder that was placed on him w/ repeated social media posts about a key #witness & #jurors.

This is 1 of many ways in which despite Trump's complaints that he is being treated unfairly, the judge is bending over backwards to be fair to him in this #trial.

#criminal #law

w/a celebrity trial—or a case that elicits strong feelings—there’s a dynamic where people are trying to get on the #jury. Not so w/the #TrumpTrial; >50 of Monday’s 1st group of 96 said they couldn’t be fair. Dozens today have said the same, & they’ve had a few days to think about the ramifications of serving.

So far, 48 prospective #jurors left bc they said they could not be fair & impartial, 9 more were excused for other reasons. 39 are left in this group.

#Trump #criminal #law #JuryTampering

The prospective #jurors will now be asked the 42 questions on the juror questionnaire, starting w/ basics. They’ll also be asked more targeted questions re their political leanings. For example, they will be asked if they have ever attended a #Trump rally or read one of his books.

Trump has been animated at points this morning, but now, he has partially closed his eyes --- his new narrative is he does this when he’s trying to keep from lashing out.

#criminal #law #JuryTampering

The first potential #juror that is being questioned this morning says she has previously worked as a #law clerk for the federal government & has discussed the #legal merits of this case w/many of her coworkers. Justice #Merchan asks if that would influence her if she’s chosen for the jury. She paused before saying she could be fair, but then added: “It is hard to unring a bell.” [no doubt. I couldn’t be on this #jury]

#Trump #criminal #law #TrumpTrial

#TrumpTrial🧵 cont’d

One prospective #juror said he only reads the New York Post & the New York Daily News. In other words, he's a NY unicorn.

At another point he said he only has a flip phone. "And therefore I do not *watch* any podcasts," he says, elliciting laughter.

The man says he has no friends or family who have been convicted of a #crime, but quickly amends his answer, more loudly, to no "close friends."

#Trump #criminal #law

They brought back previously mentioned #juror4, who they were concerned misrepresented his arrest history when answering the questionnaire.

The reported conversation was odd given that he was accused of lying. His answers appeared to make defense atty, Todd Blanche, laugh. #Trump leaned in closer to listen. The juror explained something at length, gesticulating & setting off more laughter. Judge #Merchan did not look amused. The conversation ended & the juror was escorted from the room.

#law

There was a long sidebar, #Trump was alone & quiet at the defense table, as the lawyers determined the juror’s fate.

They brought #juror4 back in.

The juror spoke to the lawyers. If he were to remain on the jury, the lawyers will know this juror better than they know any others, due to all of this interaction.

Merchan tapped the microphone then stated he was excusing juror 4.

Trump reportedly looked annoyed at the decision.

#criminal #law #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

#Jurors are often excused by the dozens during selection, & even if someone is picked, it is not guaranteed that they'll serve. But losing 2 previously seated jurors in one day, isn’t great.

Justice #Merchan said Tues that given the rate they were seating jurors, opening arguments could begin as soon as Mon morning. We’ll see.

Merchan says that more prospective jurors will answer the questionaire before lunch. Attys on both sides will then each question the group.

#Trump #TrumpTrial #law

It’s probably safe to say that few, if any, judges have had to deal w/the array of #threats to #their trial that Justice #Merchan has had to. Besides #Trump himself, who constantly tests the boundaries of his #GagOrder, there are his allies who attacking the judge & his family & who aren’t covered by the gag order. Then there’s the #media who has been putting potentially identifying info about prospective #jurors on TV.

#criminal #law #intimidation #harassment #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

In a brief interview outside the courtroom, #juror4 who was just dismissed declined to give his name & said he didn’t want to answer questions. But nodded when asked if he thought he could be unbiased & shook his head when asked if he felt at all intimidated in the courtroom.

Asked if he thought he should have been dismissed, he gave a one-word answer: “Nope.”

#Trump #criminal #law #JurySelection #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

recap/summary:

A total of 7 jurors had been seated on Tues.
2 of the 7 have now been dismissed. No one yet has been newly selected.

So we are down to just 5 seated jurors.

Lawyers on both sides of the case must now replace the 2 — & find several more.

But >½ of a fresh group of 96 prospective jurors were dismissed almost immediately, including 48 who indicated that they did not believe they could be fair & impartial.

#Trump #criminal #law #JurySelection #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

If you’re curious here’s the jury questionnaire:

https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/47595cfb3308e37e/ec756167-full.pdf

#Trump #criminal #law #JurySelection #JuryTampering #TrumpTrial

#TrumpTrial #jurors’ concerns

#JurySelection began w/a sworn in juror getting dismissed over doxxing concerns.

“I definitely have concerns now. One of them especially being the aspects of my identity have already been out there in public. Yesterday alone I had friends, colleagues & family push things to my phone regarding questioning my identity as a juror.”

#Trump #law #crime #intimidation #JuryTampering
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/18/trump-hush-money-trial-live-updates/