Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include developments regarding the judge's decision to excuse a second juror on Thursday.
The jury selection process for former President Donald Trump's "hush money" trial in New York City has not been going quickly nor smoothly — and things took another turn Thursday morning. After struggling to find jurors in the pool who said they could consider the case fairly and impartially, at least one individual who had been impaneled to the jury has now been excused by the judge.
A female juror, "Juror #2," who works as an oncology nurse and had biographical details — including her occupation and other information from her responses to the juror questionnaire and its 42 multi-part questions — made public told the judge that she had "friends, colleagues, and family push things to my phone questioning my identity as a juror."
"After sleeping on it overnight," Juror #2 told the court she "has concerns about her ability to be fair and impartial."
As a result, Judge Juan Merchan excused Juror #2, meaning there are just now just six impaneled jurors and 12 more must still be settled.
Contrary to claims that Trump and his allies are trying to intimidate jurors, mainstream media outlets hostile to Trump reported details about jurors' identities — apparently enough details to allow at least one juror to have her presence on the panel suspected.
Juror #2 in Trump’s hush money trial has been excused after she told Judge Merchan aspects of her “identity have already been out there in the public, yesterday alone I had friends colleagues and family push things to my phone questioning my identity as a juror”
— Kristen Holmes (@KristenhCNN) April 18, 2024
Down to 6 jurors
Adding to the confusion surrounding jury selection, Juror #2 was not the only person who was added to the jury only to be subsequently excused.
Juror #4, a man who runs an IT business and said while answering the questionnaire that he finds Trump "fascinating," was asked to see Judge Merchan at 9:15 a.m. ET on Thursday after prosecutors said they have reason to believe he may not have answered the selection questions accurately. The D.A.'s office reportedly found records matching the juror's name that called the veracity of his statements into question, but Juror #4 did not show up to see the judge as requested.
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Prosecutors said they felt they were "ethically and legally obligated to bring this information to the court." Judge Merchan said he instructed juror number 4 to be here at 9:15 but he still has yet to show up. https://t.co/xI55Ww7pWm
— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) April 18, 2024
By Thursday afternoon, Judge Merchan also excused Juror #4. After starting the day with seven jurors on the panel, the jury had shrunk to five by the noon hour.
Of the original 200 individuals called on Monday to begin the jury selection process, a fresh 96 are being run through the gamut in court on Thursday in attempts to seat a full 18-member panel of jurors and alternates.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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