DAILY BEAST
The troubles plaguing Donald Trump’s first criminal trial in New York City and its anonymous jury are starting to mount, as two jurors bowed out after details of their personal lives revealed in court drew public attention—and potentially a target on their backs.
At the start of the day, a nurse slotted as “juror number two” said details reported by news outlets allowed her to be identified by friends, scaring her enough to want to avoid serving on the most significant trial in the country’s history.
Then, at noon, a Puerto Rican IT consultant chosen to be “juror number four” held a private meeting with the judge, prosecutors, and defense attorneys to apparently share similar concerns.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan later said he wouldn’t overstate the man’s feelings but said “he expressed annoyance at how much” is out there about him.
That followed an exchange earlier in the day that set the tone for Day Three of the former president’s criminal trial, when the nurse discussed her fears with the judge.
