A juror sworn onto Donald Trump's jury panel Tuesday was dismissed Thursday morning after expressing concerns that part of her identity were made public by the media.
There are now six jurors empaneled. Juror No. 2 told Judge Juan Merchan:
"Aspects of my 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," she said.
The juror’s concerns reflected the historic nature of the case and the intense pressure in a polarized political climate that will be on the panel of people who are called to do their civic duty to be fair and impartial.
Merchan then addressed the press in court, telling them "there's a reason this is an anonymous jury."
"We just lost what probably would've been a very good juror," Merchan said. The judge said the juror said she was "afraid" and felt intimated by the press.
Merchan said he agrees with the defense that it's important to obtain information about prospective jurors' employers. But he says he is going to have those answers to questions 3a and 3d redacted from the court record, and he is directing the press in the courtroom and in the overflow not to report those answers.
"It’s become a problem," Merchan says.
Questions 3a and 3d ask: Who is your current employer and who is your previous employer?
While having an empaneled juror excused is not common, the juror's concern about aspects of her identity being revealed is a byproduct of a high profile case with a lot of publicity.
