Two jurors who had been sworn in Tuesday were dismissed from Trump’s hush money trial Thursday. One of the jurors expressed concerns that her identity had been revealed by the media.
Prosecutors had questioned whether a second juror had been truthful about prior arrests in a jury questionnaire. Judge Juan Merchan dismissed the juror as a result.
Prosecutors also asked the judge to hold the former president in contempt over a series of social media posts. And Trump was seen briefly using his cellphone on Thursday, flouting courtroom rules.
Shortly after jury selection resumed Thursday morning, Merchan informed lawyers for both sides that a juror who had been sworn in on Tuesday was dismissed.
The juror, an oncology nurse, told the judge that aspects of her identity had been publicly revealed, and that she felt intimidated by the press.
Merchan told the media to refrain from publishing information that could reveal the identities of jurors, especially given the historic nature of the case. “There’s a reason this is an anonymous jury,” he said.Prosecutors raised an issue about a second juror, saying that he may not have answered the jury questionnaire accurately regarding prior arrests.
Prosecutors raised an issue about a second juror, saying that he may not have answered the jury questionnaire accurately regarding prior arrests.
In the 1990s, they noted, a person with the same name had been arrested for tearing down right-wing posters. The man is also married to a woman who was prosecuted on corruption charges, a fact that wasn’t reflected in the jury questionnaire.
With the dismissal of the two jurors, only five remained seated so far. Seven more are needed to fill out the 12-member panel, with another six to be chosen as alternates.
Prosecutors again asked for Trump to held in contempt and fined over a series of social media posts that they say violate the gag order imposed on him.
The posts include one linking to a New York Post article calling Michael Cohen a “serial perjurer” and another quoting Fox News host Jesse Watters claiming that some prospective jurors are “undercover liberal activists lying to the judge” in order to get on the jury.
“It’s ridiculous and has to stop,” Christopher Conroy, one of the prosecutors, told Merchan Thursday.
The judge had already scheduled a hearing for next week on the prosecution’s request for contempt sanctions over Trump’s social posts.
Trump — who is required by law to attend the trial — was also seen using his cellphone at the defense table, openly flouting the rules of the courtroom.
The former president’s lawyer Todd Blanche told him to stop, and Trump put his phone away.
Source: yahoo.com, Author: Dylan Stableford
