Federal prosecutors have asked the judge in Donald Trump’s Washington election interference case to look into protecting the identity of potential jurors. They pointed to Trump’s “continued use of social media as a weapon of intimidation in court proceedings” to justify their request.
A Genuine Concern
Judge Tanya Chutkan has been asked to issue a questionnaire to assist with choosing potential jurors. However, it would give lawyers early access to the identities of the individuals and, given his previous behavior, prosecutors are concerned about what Trump could do with the information.
Trump’s Civil Fraud Case
Prosecutors pointed to Trump’s civil fraud case and how he took to social media to post a photo of Judge Arthur Engoron’s principal law clerk posing with Chuck Schumer. The former president wrote that it was “disgraceful” that she was working with the judge.
Cause for Concern
Prosecutors wrote: “Given that the defendant – after apparently reviewing opposition research on court staff – chose to use social media to publicly attack a court staffer, there is cause for concern about what he may do with social media research on potential jurors in this case.”
The Simple Request
Prosecutors are requesting that the court ban anyone involved in the case from either following or friending potential jurors on social media. Moreover, they’re asking that any investigation of jurors “that could reasonably be perceived as vexatious or harassing” be banned.
E. Jean Carroll’s Lawsuit
The prosecutors also pointed out that the judge in writer E. Jean Carroll’s rape lawsuit said that jurors’ names must be kept secret due to “a very strong risk” of harassment from the former president’s fans. They described those measures as “far more restrictive” than their proposal, requesting that Chutkan “likewise protect prospective and selected jurors in this case from intimidation and fear.”
Georgia Election Interference Case
In Trump’s Georgia election interference case, Judge Scott McAfee ordered that only numbers be used to identify jurors and prospective jurors. Moreover, he said that nobody would be permitted to disclose any information that could reveal their identities.
A Gag Order
On top of protections for potential jurors, prosecutors in the federal election interference case have also requested a gag order to prevent Trump from making intimidating comments about anyone involved in the case, including lawyers and witnesses.
The Internet’s Response
News of the request was shared across the internet and, for the most part, commenters simply shared their strong opinions about Trump. Plenty of people referred to him as a “traitor” and called for him to go to prison. Others said the prosecutors’ request was entirely understandable.
Time and Money Wasted
One social media commenter wrote: “America needs to get this case to trial. Enough time and money have already been wasted on this stuff. Time for the show to end. This happened in 2020. We are ready to go into 2024.”
The Same Laws for All
Others were frustrated with how the former president, at this point, has already gotten away with so much intimidation. One such individual said: “Why are they allowing him to continue to verbally attack people? He should be in jail right now. Even the president or former president should be subject to the same standards as the rest of us.”
A Very Sad Situation
One person lamented the fact that such a request was even necessary. “Sad that we cannot trust that the former president would respect the safety of citizens simply answering their call to be on a jury. They didn’t ask for this,” they said.
Special Treatment for the Rich
Others wondered why Trump isn’t awaiting trial in jail: “Why isn’t he sitting in a jail cell awaiting trial at this point? Nobody else would be allowed to be at large after attacking the court and individuals in this manner while on release before a trial.”
Mob Boss Trump
Plenty of people compared the former president to a mob boss. One commenter wrote: “Like any mob boss, Donny wants to know names, addresses, birth dates, family members, schools, and workplaces so he can unleash the horde to do his dirty work for him.”
A Corrupt Justice System
A fair number of people said the justice system is corrupt. “Donald Trump going through the justice system exposes how corrupt the system really is. Anyone else would be behind bars with that many counts,” one person said.
Witnessing the Circus
Some commenters imagined what it would be like to be a juror. One such individual said: “I would love to be on the jury only because I want to witness the circus first hand. I would really never agree to be a juror unless I was guaranteed that Trump and his lawyers could not contact me or harass me. This trial will be very interesting because we will finally find out who did what to avert the election results.”
An Insane Criminal
For the most part, people agreed that the jurors should be protected. One person wrote: “Obviously they need to protect the jurors. I hate to think what that insane, sociopathic criminal will do if he discovers their identities. The protections should be as intense as possible.”
The Jurors Need to Be Protected
Another commenter said: “If the jurors’ identities are disclosed to the public, they will be threatened with revenge attacks by Trump supporters. Some of them will try to attack them. A few will succeed. The jurors need to be protected.”
A MAGA Opinion
Despite all the aforementioned agreement, Trump’s supporters did join the conversation from time to time. One said: “Protect the jurors’ identities and don’t let anyone know that only diehard liberals are being selected as potential jurors.”
“Reverse Racism Doesn’t Exist, Idiot”: Biden’s Praise for Kamala Harris Raises Eyebrows
President Biden has claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris is fighting for freedom and that the Biden administration has rebuilt the economy. Understandably, his comments have left some people confused.
“Reverse Racism Doesn’t Exist, Idiot”: Biden’s Praise for Kamala Harris Raises Eyebrows
“This Is Why Nobody Takes Christianity Seriously”: Pastor Enters Cage of Lions to Prove God Is Protecting Him
Plenty of religious leaders claim to have some form of “divine protection” but not many of them are brave enough to attempt to prove it. One pastor, though, did possess that courage – or stupidity – and he locked himself in a cage of lions to make his point.
“I’d Like to See Him Pass a Polygraph”: Trump Fails at Basic Math and Rambles About Passing Meaningless Competency Test
According to NBC, Donald Trump has given a lengthy response to a question regarding age concerns. The former president and Republican presidential nominee candidate, who often says Biden is too old for his job at age 80, is 77.
“Seems Like Pure Racism”: House Approves Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Amendment to Cut the Secretary of Defense’s Pay to $1
The House has approved Marjorie Taylor Greene’s amendment to cut Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s salary to $1.
“In the Far Future, White People Won’t Exist”: Biden Says White People Will Soon Be a Minority in America
President Joe Biden has boldly claimed that the United States will soon become “a minority-White European country.”