A second juror was excused from the jury in President Donald Trump’s so-called “hush money” trial after their troubling prior arrest was exposed.
It was revealed the man has a history of leftist activism and was once arrested for tearing down right-leaning political advertisements.
Known only as “Juror #4,” he was selected and sworn in on Tuesday.
However, he was later excused by Judge Juan Merchan after details of his arrest emerged.
According to a prosecutor from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, the man had been arrested in Westchester, New York, for tearing town political advertisements.
“I actually believe the propaganda that was being ripped down was political posters that were on the right — the political right,” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said Thursday.
Steinglass said that after additional research, it also appeared that the juror’s wife had been previously accused of, or involved in a “corruption inquiry” that needed a “deferred prosecution agreement with the district attorney’s office.”
Jurors are asked on a questionnaire to list whether they or someone close to them had ever been arrested.
Juror #4 was excused shortly after Juror #2 was excused when she admitted that she could no longer be fair.
Juror #2, a woman who lived on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and works as a nurse, returned to court Thursday morning.
She said that after further thought, she had concerns about being fair and balanced in the case.
“I definitely have concerns,” she said, noting that her family and friends questioned if she was serving on the jury.
“I don’t think I can be fair.”
She also said she thought that “outside influence” would “interfere.”
The woman also noted that she did not want aspects of her identity to be reported.
Judge Merchan, a Biden donor, excused her and warned the press about covering the trial.
“You can write about anything on the record, but apply common sense when writing about jurors using physical descriptions and descriptors,” Merchan said.
Merchan directed the press to refrain from writing about anything that can be observed with eyes in order to “ensure jurors remain safe.”
“We lost what would have been a good juror,” Merchan said.
The judge added that she was “afraid of being intimidated.”
After the departure of Juror #4 and Juror #2, only five jurors have been sworn in.
Thirteen more jurors are needed before opening arguments can begin.
As Slay News reported earlier, another juror was excused due to a scheduling conflict.
However, when she left the court, she admitted to reporters that she’s “not a fan” of Trump.
She continued to list reasons why the 45th president makes her “angry.”
Worryingly, her obvious bias had not been detected by the court.
READ MORE – Man Sets Himself on Fire Outside Trump’s ‘Hush Money’ Trial in New York