Last Updated on February 25, 2020
Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who sentenced Roger Stone to 40 months in prison last week, launched in a courtroom diatribe against various political figures who voiced concern about the political bias of the jury foreman in the Stone trial, according to sources in the room.
Jackson ruled that the record of the retrial hearing for Roger Stone would be audio-only, citing a “risk of intimidation and harassment” of jurors.
Jackson warns: "The risk of harassment and intimidation of any jurors who may testify in the hearing later today is extremely high."
— Darren Samuelsohn (@dsamuelsohn) February 25, 2020
The media will be unable to identify jurors due to Jackson’s restrictions.
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1232383230801829890
Instances of said harassment and intimidation Jackson cited for these new measures appear to consist of tweets by President Donald Trump and reporting from Fox News’ Tucker Carson and Infowars’ Alex Jones.
Jackson is quoted as saying, “Tucker Carlson accused the foreperson of the jury of being an anti-Trump zealot … Any attempts to invade the privacy of the jurors or to harass or intimidate them is completely antithetical to our system of justice.”
Judge Amy Berman Jackson: "Tucker Carlson accused the foreperson of the jury of being an anti-Trump zealot…Any attempts to invade the privacy of the jurors or to harass or intimidate them is completely antithetical to our system of justice." Per @dnlbrns
— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) February 25, 2020
The accusations cited by the judge about the political bias of jury foreperson Tomeka Hart have been confirmed by Hart’s own record of political activism.
Jackson also reportedly referenced articles from left-wing publication Media Matters in her speech.
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1232381435862016004
According to CNN, Jackson claimed that the remarks from Carlson and Jones could put the jurors at “substantial risk of harm” and opined that jurors are “deserving of the public’s respect”:
Jackson read the President’s tweet attacking the Stone jury forewoman, as well as commentary from InfoWars’ Alex Jones and Tucker Carlson from Fox News, to a federal courtroom, in deciding to hear testimony from jurors while protecting their identities after Stone asked for a retrial.Making jurors’ identities public “would put them at substantial risk of harm,” Jackson said. “In a highly publicized political climate … the risk of harassment and intimidation of any juror” who may testify to the court today “is extremely high.”“While judges may have volunteered for their positions … jurors are not volunteers,” Jackson said. “They are deserving of the public’s respect.”Jackson, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, reportedly told Stone’s attorney “I have a lot to say so you can sit down” before launching into her speech.
