(DailyVantage.com) – Attorneys for former President Donald Trump have disqualified a juror after finding the juror’s social media posts, which called for authorities to sentence Trump to prison.
The juror’s disqualification comes as the New York Supreme Court prepares for Trump’s hush money criminal trial, and it is the latest in a long string of juror dismissals by Trump’s legal team. New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan agreed with the disqualification and said he can’t allow a juror who has shown clear bias against a defendant to remain involved in a trial.
When viewing the juror’s social media posts, Trump’s legal team found multiple posts calling for Trump’s arrest. The juror reportedly said that authorities should put Trump in prison and posted in 2017 about his desire to see Trump removed from any position of power he currently occupies. The juror failed to disclose the social media posts, but Trump’s legal team discovered them while viewing various jurors’ social media accounts to determine if any possessed clear bias. Trump’s team and the case’s prosecutors have selected all 12 of the trial’s jurors, meaning the case will begin shortly.
The hush money trial’s jury selection process has seen Trump’s lawyers dismiss dozens of individuals, with some admitting they could not remain impartial and others claiming they had prior obligations that would interfere with the trial. The jury selection process began with almost 100 potential jurors, but 50 prospective jurors have been removed from the case due to fears of bias. While the latest juror dismissal resulted from social media posts, the potential juror isn’t the only one who’s faced disqualification due to controversial social media activities.
Trump’s legal team dismissed several other jurors, each of whom posted about the Republican Party or Trump in a negative light. One juror reportedly claimed that the Republican Party would gain seats in prison, a jab accusing the Republican Party of acting illegally and facing consequences. Another potential juror shared a video of Trump on social media, which featured the former president calling himself stupid. Trump’s legal team dismissed both jurors and cited the bias highlighted by their social media posts.
Trump’s hush money is now ongoing, as Trump’s legal team has agreed to each of the selected jurors. Trump faces charges relating to the infamous 2016 Stormy Daniels hush money payments, including falsifying business records. Alvin Bragg, Manhattan’s District Attorney, brought the charges against Trump last year. According to Bragg, Trump should spend time in prison for his involvement in the hush money payments to Daniels, despite the case already having been litigated in civil court years prior.
As of Monday, April 22, all of the required jurors for the case have been seated, and the trial is underway.
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