A judge presiding over former President Trump's New York criminal trial has come under scrutiny after sending a letter to defense attorneys about a comment posted to the court's public Facebook page, implying one of the jurors may have discussed the guilty verdict with family prior to the trial's conclusion.
A judge presiding over former President Trump's ongoing New York criminal trial has sparked controversy after revealing a pre-verdict Facebook post that has raised concerns about the credibility of the jury.
In a letter sent to Trump defense attorneys and Manhattan prosecutors on Friday, Judge Juan Merchan flagged a comment posted on the Unified Court System's public Facebook page, where a user identified as "Michael Anderson" claimed their cousin was a juror and had disclosed the impending guilty verdict to them.
The comment read: "My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted! Thank you folks for all your hard work!!!!" A subsequent comment by the same user stated: "Thank you for all your hard [sic] against the MAGA crazies! My cousin is a juror on Trump's criminal case and they're going to convict him tomorrow according to her."
The comment has prompted scrutiny and suspicion, with some wondering why Judge Merchan alerted Trump's counsel before investigating the matter thoroughly. Experts have expressed skepticism about the authenticity of the claim, noting the prevalence of troll and bot accounts on social media.
Jurors in the trial were under strict instructions not to discuss the case with anyone while the proceedings were ongoing. If the claim made in the Facebook comment were true, it would raise concerns about potential jury tampering and undermine the legitimacy of the verdict.
Legal experts have weighed in on the potential implications of the Facebook post. Mountain States Legal Foundation attorney William Trachman warned that such allegations could lead to a mistrial, stating: "These are the types of things that result in mistrials... This doesn't need to be about politics. It can be about justice."
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained that jury deliberations are "sacred" but that a mistrial could occur if "outside influences are brought in." He noted that the defense would need to prove both an improper outside influence and prejudice to obtain a new trial.
In his letter, Judge Merchan notified the parties of the comment and stated that the court had become aware of it that day. He did not provide any further details or comment on the veracity of the claim.
Trump's campaign officials have stated that they are investigating the matter. The court and Trump's legal team are working to determine the identity of the Facebook user who posted the comment and verify the claims made.
The outcome of the ongoing investigation and the possible consequences for the jury process remain uncertain. If the Facebook post is deemed credible, it could have a significant impact on the trial's outcome and the legitimacy of the guilty verdict.
