Judge Juan Merchan ruled on Thursday morning that the media is not allowed to publish the jurors’ responses to questions 3a and 3d on the juror qualition questionnaire.
The questions ask: “Who is your current employer and who is your previous employer?”
The ruling comes as the seated jury in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial fell to six as a sworn juror expressed concerns about her identity being made public by the media.
The juror told Judge 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.”
A number of people observing the jury selection process (voir dire) have expressed similar concerns about the intense political climate.
Merchan proceeded to addressed members of the press in the courtroom: “We just lost what probably would’ve been a very good juror.”
Though the judge agreed with Trump’s lawyers that having that information is essential, the court will redact it from the public record.
Merchan also instructed journalists to refrain from revealing any information regarding the physical appearance of the jurors.
Jury selection continues. Twelve New Yorkers and six alternates need to be selected.
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