Trump seeks to exclude jurors over political social media posts

Lawyers for former President Trump are using social media posts by potential jurors and their spouses to try to exclude them from the hush money trial.

Lawyers played a video Tuesday in a Manhattan courtroom that showed the social media posts may indicate jurors harbor anti-Trump sentiments and therefore are less likely to be fair and impartial during the trial. I used it as a signal that I couldn’t do it.

One of the jurors Trump’s lawyers asked to be removed posted a video on Facebook of him celebrating in Upper Manhattan after President Biden declared he won the 2020 election. .

According to a pool report, jurors said the celebrations she filmed were reminiscent of the cheers for health workers that erupted on nights during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

But, she said, “regardless of what I think about someone or something,” a juror’s job “is to understand the facts of the case and be the judge of those facts.” Although she argued that she could still be an impartial juror, the judge did not remove her.

“Yesterday… people walked away thinking they couldn’t do it,” she added. “I don’t believe in myself at all.” Her judge thanked her and she made her way back down the aisle and out of the courtroom.

However, a second juror was excused for cause for posting on social media praising legal defeats against travel bans enacted during Trump’s presidency.

“Good news!! According to the pool, Mr. Trump has lost his legal battle over the illegal travel ban!!!,” the juror wrote. “Let him out and lock him up.”

“This is someone who has expressed a desire to have Mr. Trump locked up,” Marchan said, adding that Mr. Trump could face prison time if convicted, according to Poole.

The juror was asked by the prosecutor’s office whether he still thought President Trump should be held in custody, and the man answered “no.” Mr. Trump then craned his neck toward the jury and grinned, pool reporters said.

Social media posts by the prospective juror’s husband have come under intense scrutiny from Trump’s lawyers.

Blanche posted a social media post depicting a character from The Simpsons holding President Trump’s head in her hands, and a judge said she made a reference to Orange Is the New Black, a reference to Trump and former President Barack Obama. He pointed out a post depicting “The Simpsons,” and a post depicting “The Simpsons.” The Avengers unite against Trump. ”

Steinglass suggested the juror’s husband’s 2016 post was “humorous.” But Marchan joked, “It’s not very good humor.”

The judge refused further investigation, noting the posts did not involve a jury and were made more than eight years ago. He said, “If this is the worst thing I can find about this juror,” it gave him confidence in her ability to be fair and impartial.

Contributed by Zach Schoenfeld.