Juror No. 2 told the judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal trial on Thursday that she did not believe she could be "fair and unbiased."
Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP
A juror who had already been seated in Donald Trump's criminal hush-money trial in New York was excused Thursday after she expressed concerns about her identity possibly being revealed to the public.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the historic case, said in court Thursday that the woman, known as "juror No. 2," called the court on Wednesday saying that she had "concerns about her ability to be fair and impartial" in the trial after sleeping on it.
"Yesterday alone I have had friends, family push things to my phone regarding questioning my identity as a juror," the juror then told the judge in the courtroom.
"I don't believe at this point I can be fair and unbiased," the woman explained before Merchan dismissed her from the case.
Merchan then scolded the press for revealing details about the woman during the jury selection process this week.
"There's a reason why this is an anonymous jury, and we've taken the measures that we've taken," Merchan said when he addressed the press and encouraged them to use "common sense."
"It kind of defeats the purpose of that when so much information is put out there that makes it very, very easy to find out who they are," the judge said.
Merchan said that the juror who was excused "said she was afraid and intimidated by all the press."
"We just lost what may have been a very good juror," Merchan added.
There are now six jurors empaneled. The jury selection process is continuing.
