Judge Juan Merchan, presiding over the trial concerning former President Donald Trump’s business records, cautioned both Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass about a statement made by an individual purporting to be the cousin of one of the jurors.
In a formal correspondence directed to Blanche and Steinglass, Merchan disclosed that the court had become “apprised of a remark” shared on the Facebook page for the Unified Court System. The comment, made by a Facebook user, disclosed the jury’s verdict of guilt a day prior to Trump’s conviction.
“Today, the Court became aware of a comment that was posted on the Unified Court System’s public Facebook page and which I now bring to your attention,” Merchan wrote in his letter.
👀 Justice MERCHAN has notified the parties in Trump's case that a stray comment was posted on the NY court system's Facebook page on May 29, a day before Trump's conviction. pic.twitter.com/EszX3HClLN
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) June 7, 2024
“The comment, now labeled as one week old, responded to a routine UCS notice, posted on May 29, 2024, regarding oral arguments in the Fourth Department of the Appellate Division unrelated to this proceeding,” Merchan continued.
Merchan mentioned in his correspondence that the comment could be viewed on the Facebook page of the New York State Unified Court System; however, it seems that the post has been removed. According to NBC News, under New York law, a defendant is permitted to request the annulment of a verdict due to juror misconduct only if they can demonstrate, with a preponderance of evidence, that such misconduct occurred and resulted in a significant risk of bias.
