Evander Ellis:Judge sets rules for research on potential jurors ahead of Trump’s 2020 election interference trial

2025-05-02 19:29:05source:NSI Communitycategory:reviews

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Evander Ellisfederal judge overseeing the 2020 election interference case against Donald Trump on Thursday ordered those involved in the case not to disclose possible jurors’ names as she set rules around conducting research into potential members of the jury.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said potential jurors will be brought to the courthouse in Washington on Feb. 9 to fill out a questionnaire that will help the sides narrow down the jury pool ahead of trial, which is scheduled to begin on March 4.

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team had raised concerns about what Trump might do with research on possible jurors, citing the former president’s “continued use of social media as a weapon of intimidation in court proceedings.”

Trump’s lawyers said in response that the former president “has no intention of publicizing the names or other contact information of jurors.”

Chutkan said in her order on Thursday that while prosecutors and the defense can do open-source research into potential jurors, they cannot use non-public databases or have direct contact with them.

She ordered the sides not to reveal potential jurors’ names or any other identifying information. And she said that juror information can not be given to other entities not involved in the case — like Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

The case, which accuses Trump of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden, is one of four criminal cases the Republican is facing while he campaigns to retake the White House in 2024. He has denied any wrongdoing.

More:reviews

Recommend

Superflares could be more common than thought: Are they something else to worry about?

Add solar superflares to the list of natural disasters of concern.Superflares are extremely strong s

Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius up for parole Friday, 10 years after a killing that shocked the world

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Oscar Pistorius could be granted parole on Friday after spending near

Marrakech hosts film festival in the shadow of war in the Middle East

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — International movie stars arrive in Morocco on Friday to kick off one of t