Judge Juan Merchan notified lawyers on Friday that a comment reading “Trump will be guilty” had been posted to the court’s Facebook page the day before the jury was due to deliver its verdict.
Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records on May 30 in a case brought by Democratic District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Claimed He learned he would be sentenced for a comment he made on a May 29 post about a “routine UCS notice,” according to the judge’s letter.
“My cousin is on the jury and she says Trump will be found guilty,” a commenter wrote, adding a congratulatory emoji. “Thank you all for your hard work!!! <3."
Attorney and legal analyst Philip Holloway told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the comments could be “potentially very significant,” noting that even though the poster’s identity has yet to be confirmed, the judge would likely have to send notice based on the fact that the poster claims to have spoken to jurors. (Related: Trump’s legal team may have taken some false steps, but Judge Marchan doomed them from the start. Here’s why.)
Judge Marchan notified the prosecution and Donald Trump’s defense of the following comment left on the New York court’s Facebook page the day before the verdict:
“My cousin is on the jury and says Trump will be found guilty 🎉 Thank you all for your efforts!!! ♥️” https://t.co/VWObWZy7p0 pic.twitter.com/hcfyu5VcKn
— Molly Crane Newman (@molcranenewman) June 7, 2024
“This is a very serious matter,” former federal prosecutor John Malcolm told the DCNF. “Jurors are instructed not to discuss the case with anyone other than their fellow jurors. It appears that at least one juror did not follow the court’s instructions.”
“If this is true, the verdict could be overturned and a mistrial declared,” Malcolm continued. “Trump’s lawyers will likely argue, and the judge may need to hold evidentiary hearings to determine the truth of the matter.”
Trump’s lawyer, Todd Branche, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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