A recent development in the legal proceedings involving former President Donald Trump has raised concerns over potential irregularities in the jury deliberations. New York Judge Juan Merchan recently issued a notice to both the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Trump’s legal team regarding a post on the Facebook page of the New York court system.
🚨 BREAKING: Judge Merchan sends letter to parties in NY Trump case notifying them that this comment was left on their Facebook page before the verdict:
“My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted & Thank you folks for all your hard work!!!!.” pic.twitter.com/u5SBuNQs6y [1]
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 7, 2024 [2]
Is this grounds for a mistrial? pic.twitter.com/rAi6nj4wGx [3]
— Mammoth Nation (@MammothNationUS) June 7, 2024 [4]
The post, attributed to a user named “Michael Anderson,” claimed to be from the cousin of a juror who allegedly had insider knowledge of Trump’s conviction on 34 felony charges. The comment, posted concurrently with the verdict announcement, expressed gratitude to the individuals involved in the case for their efforts.
🚨 WHY DID JUDGE MERCHAN LEAVE OUT THE PART ABOUT “MAGA CRAZIES”? https://t.co/dY2rg0VolM [5] pic.twitter.com/DBLu41k7cU [6]
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 7, 2024 [7]
Trending on 𝕏: “Mistrial” https://t.co/whEtO0Ijph [8] pic.twitter.com/2hn9dRSruq [9]
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 7, 2024 [10]
Judge Merchan noted that the “Michael Anderson” comment was a response to a routine notice by the Unified Court System (UCS), dated May 29, 2024, concerning oral arguments in the Fourth Department of the Appellate Division, which was unrelated to the ongoing proceedings.
People v DJT 6-7-24 Letter … [11] by Red Voice News [12]
While the UCS notice was published a day before the verdict was rendered, the timing of “Michael Anderson’s” post in relation to the verdict remains unspecified in Merchan’s order. It was only mentioned that the post was labeled as being “one week old.”
The authenticity of the familial connection between “Michael Anderson” and the juror mentioned in the post has not been confirmed. However, if the post does indeed indicate foreknowledge of the jury’s decision, it could serve as a significant point of contention for Trump’s legal team to challenge the verdict on appeal.