Trump juror previously arrested for ripping down right-leaning political ads dismissed from trial

A second juror was excused from the jury in former President Trump’s criminal trial on Thursday after it was revealed the man was once arrested for tearing down right-leaning political advertisements. 

Juror #4, who was selected and sworn in on Tuesday, was excused by Judge Juan Merchan on Thursday morning. 

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The man had been arrested in Westchester, N.Y., for tearing town political advertisements, according to a prosecutor from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office. 

"I actually believe the propaganda that was being ripped down was political posters that were on the right — the political right," prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said Thursday. 

A court sketch depicts the second day of former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Jury selection for the alleged hush money case remains ongoing. (Christine Cornell)

Steinglass said that after additional research, it also appeared that the juror’s wife had been previously accused of, or involved in a "corruption inquiry" that needed a "deferred prosecution agreement with the district attorney’s office." 

Jurors are asked on a questionnaire to list whether they or someone close to them have ever been arrested.

Juror #4 was excused shortly after juror #2 was excused. Juror #2 admitted that she could no longer be fair. 

Juror #2, a woman who lived on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and works as a nurse, returned to court Thursday morning and said that after further thought, she had concerns about being fair and balanced in the case. 

Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings on the second day of jury selection at Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New York. Donald Trump returned to the courtroom Tuesday as a judge works to find a panel of jurors who will decide whether the former president is guilty of criminal charges alleging he falsified business records to cover up a sex scandal during the 2016 campaign. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)

"I definitely have concerns," she said, noting that her family and friends questioned if she was serving on the jury. "I don’t think I can be fair." 

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She also said she thought that "outside influence" would "interfere." 

The woman also noted that she did not want aspects of her identity to be reported. 

Judge Juan Merchan excused her and warned the press about covering the trial. 

"You can write about anything on the record, but apply common sense when writing about jurors using physical descriptions and descriptors," Merchan said.

Judge Juan Merchan poses for a picture in his chambers, Thursday, March 14, 2024, in New York. A dozen Manhattan residents are soon to become the first Americans ever to sit in judgment of a former president charged with a crime. Jury selection is set to start Monday in former President Donald Trump's hush-money trial. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (AP Photos)

Merchan directed the press to refrain from writing about anything that can be observed with eyes in order to "ensure jurors remain safe."

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"We lost what would have been a good juror," Merchan said, adding that she was "afraid of being intimidated." 

Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg arrives at Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New York. Donald Trump returns to a New York courtroom Tuesday as a judge works to find a panel of jurors who will decide whether the former president is guilty of criminal charges alleging he falsified business records to cover up a sex scandal during the 2016 campaign. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

After the departure of juror #4 and juror #2, only five jurors have been sworn in. Thirteen more jurors are needed before opening arguments can begin. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

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