CNN analyst: Alternate hush money jurors will be needed in case others are ‘freaked out’

CNN senior legal analyst Ellie Honig said late Thursday that an alternate jury would be needed to reach a verdict in former President Trump’s hush money trial. This is because other jurors may be “stunned” and want to be dismissed.

“Jurors are going to be sick, jurors are going to be distraught. Some of them may be scared by the social media posts,” Honig told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

“So I think we’re going to need all six of us.”

Twelve jurors in the former president’s criminal trial were excused on Thursday after nearly 100 potential jurors were excused earlier this week after admitting they could not be fair or impartial in a politically divisive trial. Everyone took their seats. One alternate juror was also selected.

Two jurors were dismissed early Thursday over concerns that their identities would be revealed through media coverage.

Honig noted on CNN that once jurors are sworn in, it’s much harder to remove them, and added that while he doesn’t think all six alternates will be needed in the case, it’s possible.

“I don’t think we’re going to cycle through all six alternates. I mean, that’s pretty extreme, but even if someone gets COVID, if someone sees something on the news that they shouldn’t. “We’re definitely going to lose one or two people in the process,” he said.in the remarks column Highlighted by Mediaite.

“Sometimes juries drop out,” Honig said.

On Thursday, reporters covering the trial were criticized by Judge Juan Mercian after he dismissed two previous jurors. Mr. Machan directed news outlets to stop reporting on potential jurors’ employers and physical characteristics.

“He ran this process efficiently and in a way that was fair at best. Mr. Honig has so far kept the trial from becoming too much of a circus, and lawyers on both sides were not obstructionists. I’d like to say no,” Honig said of the judge, adding that this week’s jury selection “is a good sign of the speed with which we can get into this trial.” ”