Facebook Post Raises Concerns Over Jury Integrity in Trump Trial

A comment posted on the court's Facebook page has sparked an investigation into potential juror misconduct in the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump. The comment, made by a user claiming to be a relative of a juror, implied that the juror had discussed the guilty verdict with family members before the trial's conclusion.

A comment posted on the court's public Facebook page has raised concerns about juror misconduct in the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump. The comment, made by a user claiming to be a relative of a juror, implied that the juror had discussed the guilty verdict with family members before the trial's conclusion.

In a letter to the defense team and Manhattan prosecutors, Judge Juan Merchan highlighted the comment, which was posted in response to a routine notice about unrelated oral arguments. The comment stated, "My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted! Thank you folks for all your hard work!!!!"

The comment sparked an immediate investigation by the court and Trump's legal team. Fox News has not verified the claims made in the comment or the identity of the user who published the post.

However, the claim has raised concerns about the integrity of the jury process. Jurors were under strict orders from the judge not to discuss the case with anyone while the trial was ongoing.

Legal experts have weighed in on the significance of the allegations. Mountain States Legal Foundation attorney William Trachman emphasized that such incidents "result in mistrials" and "throw the whole verdict into question."

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani echoed these concerns, stating that "outside influences" brought into jury deliberations could lead to a mistrial. The defense team must prove both "an improper outside influence and prejudice" to secure a new trial, he added.

Cornell Law School clinical professor William Jacobson stressed the importance of taking the allegations seriously. "If a juror was doing the things that were alleged, it is very likely that the judge would have no choice but to overturn the verdict," he said.

The Facebook profile for "Michael Anderson," the user who posted the comment, has little publicly available information. The user identifies as a "Transabled & professional s--- poster."

A Trump campaign official confirmed that the campaign was "investigating the matter."

The comment was posted one day before Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The six-week trial stemmed from charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The investigation into the Facebook comment is ongoing.