A social media post about Donald Trump saying “lock him up” led to a potential juror being kicked out of the Manhattan case on Tuesday.
Another who reposted a video of AI calling the president “dumb as shit” was also mentioned when another man was told to go home.
The couple were among a series of dismissals in the Manhattan hush money trial that ended the second day with a surprising seven jurors.
But the judge allowed a woman who joked about Republicans to go to prison despite a challenge from Trump’s lawyers.
Judge Juan Merchán moved quickly through the possible candidates and managed to get more than halfway to filling a panel of 12.
A social media post about Donald Trump saying “lock him up” led to a potential juror being kicked out of the Manhattan case.
But a middle-aged white man was told he was no longer needed when Trump’s legal team brought up his previous online activity.
Merchan read the post to the court which read, in part: ‘Good news!! ‘Trump lost his court battle over his illegal travel ban!!!’
Take him out and lock him up.
A juror sitting in seat six was dismissed by Judge Merchan for a video he posted titled ‘Dumb as f***’ about Trump and other posts.
The couple were among a series of dismissals in the Manhattan hush money trial that ended the second day with a surprising seven jurors.
Judge Juan Merchán quickly went through the possible candidates and managed to get more than halfway to filling a panel of 12
One of them was a call to raise money to defeat him in the 2024 elections.
Blanche said the video was a “parody that makes fun of President Trump all the time.”
The jury was called and questioned and said they thought the video “would be funny.”
Judge Merchan said that he would not have any problem with the publication but in conjunction with his own (the jury’s demand here is having a hard time crediting his response).
The judge rejected another challenge from Trump to oust a woman who occupied the 16th seat.
A court sketch shows Trump looking on during the second day of jury selection on Tuesday.
Judge Merchan read out copies of the posts and told the court: “I apologize for the attempt at humour.”
One photo showed young men, Trump and the White House.
The caption read: “Trump invites Thai children to the White House.” The children request to return to the cave.’
Another photo had the caption: “Republicans predicted to win 70 prison seats.”
The August 8, 2018 post was a mock news report saying Republicans were “running to prison.”
Judge Merchan said the posts were “satire” and did not “express a desire to see his client locked up or beheaded.”
“The question is whether you can be fair and impartial: your challenge is denied,” the judge told Blanche.
“This is a person who has expressed a desire … for Mr. Trump to be imprisoned,” Merchan said, adding that if Trump is convicted he faces a possible prison sentence.
Judge criticizes Trump for ‘intimidating’ juror after warning he could be jailed for disruptive behavior while juror is dismissed for posting ‘lock him up’ on social media.
In a tense moment in court, Judge Juan Merchán told Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, to ‘talk to him’ about his behavior.
It came as Trump already risks prison for contempt of court if he violates a gag order that prohibits him from attacking people involved in the case.
Addressing Mr Blanche, the judge said: ‘Your client was saying something out loud. He was gesticulating and mumbling in the direction (of the jury).’
Raising his voice, the judge continued: ‘I will not tolerate it. I will not allow any jury to be intimidated in this courtroom. Take a minute and talk to your client about it!’
Former US President Donald Trump sits at the defense table during jury selection in his trial on charges of falsifying business records to conceal money paid to hush porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, at Manhattan state court in New York City, USA, April 16, 2024. in this courtroom sketch.
Judge Juan Merchán attacked Trump in court
Margo Martin (C), deputy communications director for former US President Donald Trump, enters the courtroom during the second day of his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 16, 2024 in New York City.
Trump has already been warned that his anger could lead him to be found guilty of contempt of court for violating a gag order imposed by Judge Merchan.
It prohibits him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and the judge’s family. Prosecutors have already asked for a fine to be imposed.
Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.
Daniels says she had a sexual encounter with Trump about a decade earlier.
The Republican presidential candidate in the November 5 election has pleaded not guilty and denies that a meeting took place.
On the second day of jury selection, Trump and his lawyers managed to have a potential juror dismissed over a 2017 social media post.
The prospective juror had written on Facebook about Trump, who was president at the time.
They wrote: “Take him out and lock him up.”
When the prospective juror was called in court to explain himself, he said, “I had strong feelings at the time,” but that he could be impartial today.
Former US President Donald Trump sits as his attorney Todd Blanche speaks during the second day of jury selection in his criminal hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, New York, USA, April 16, 2024.
Former US President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom with attorney Todd Blanche on the second day of his trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York, New York, USA, April 16, 2024.
Judge Merchan said that The quote about wanting to jail Trump was a problem.
He He said: “Everyone knows that if Mr. Trump is convicted in this case, there is a possible prison sentence that would be locked up.”
At that, Trump, looking at him, shook his head.
Judge Merchan said: “I don’t think I can allow this jury to stand.”
Former US President Donald Trump sits with his lawyers as Judge Juan Merchan oversees proceedings at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, April 15, 2024 in this courtroom sketch.
Stormy Daniels appears at an event on May 23, 2018 in West Hollywood, California.
Judge Merchan rejected a request to dismiss a potential juror over her husband’s Facebook posts, leading to a bizarre courtroom sequence.
The judge described a meme of a ‘Simpsons’ character holding Trump’s head with a photo of Barack Obama in the frame.
It had a caption that said, “I don’t think this is what they meant by orange is the new black.”
The judge read another post that was a meme with the caption: ‘The Avengers unite against Donald Trump… and to undress Mark Ruffalo.’
Judge Merchan said that if the worst they could find about the jury were posts by her husband that were ‘humorous, though not in a very good mood’, from eight years ago, that gave him confidence in the jury.