Judge Juan Merchan, presiding over the trial of former President Donald Trump’s business records, cautioned Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass about a statement made by an individual purporting to be a relative of one of the jurors.
Merchan disclosed in a written correspondence to Blanche and Steinglass that the court had been made “aware of a statement” that was posted on the Unified Court System’s Facebook page. The statement, made by a Facebook user, prematurely disclosed the jury’s decision 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.
The alert came after a Facebook user stated, “My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted. Thank you folks for all your hard work!!!!”
👀 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