Trump Georgia election trial juror names should be secret, DA tells judge

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNBC

The Atlanta district attorney asked a judge Wednesday to keep jurors’ names secret in the criminal trials of former President Donald Trump and 18 other defendants on Georgia election conspiracy charges.

Fulton County DA Fani Willis in her motion also asked that courtroom cameras not show the jurors during any trial, and bar the publication of written descriptions of the people on a jury.

Willis cited the exposure of the purported names of the 23 members of the grand jury that indicted Trump and his co-defendants.

The DA used the term “doxing,” which is making public personal information about individuals, often with the intent of causing them emotional distress or physical harm. She said that police protected the grand juror to “prevent harassment and violence against them” after conspiracy theory websites published their supposed names and home addresses.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/06/atlanta-da-wants-trump-georgia-election-trial-juror-names-to-be-secret.html

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. Good! I hope the judge agrees!

[bluestarone]

2. I fully agree!!

Does the judge have that option? IF he does, he should agree!!

[Silent Type]

3. Judge will likely agree. What about sequestering jury?

Seems like a long trial for that, but there is so much BS jurors will be subjected to.

[2naSalit]

4. Probably since...

They are likely already receiving threats themselves.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. They haven't done jury selection for the actual trial yet

but the grand jurors have been the ones getting all the threats.

Willis wants to set the rules right up front before they start jury selection (and that includes not having a camera facing the jury, which is apparently something that is normally done there).

[2naSalit]

8. I meant the judge.

If their name is out there, they are probably getting it too.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. The judge is already assigned - Scott McAfee

and even then, if the trial is being televised, then his name would end up being mentioned often during the proceedings.

[2naSalit]

11. He's probably already receiving threats.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. As I understand it, he is relativey new

so this will literally be a "trial by fire" (and sorry for the pun ).

I think the County is bolstering the security...

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Agree but what about GA state law? /nt

[BumRushDaShow]

7. She's asking the judge to make exceptions via a motion

I expect the code does allow exceptions like that.

[iluvtennis]

10. Have been an avid trial watcher for years...have never, ever seen the jurors shown on

TV broadcast/You Tube stream. Their identities are always protected.

In the trials I've watched over the years, information of the demographic makeup of the jurors & alternate jurors have been provided...but that's it.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. I agree - but unfortunately not in GA

That issue came up early when the mention of the trial being televised first occurred. All of this was to provide "transparency". But it was also emphasized that it was up to the judge to decide how much or how little.

Apparently this judge had made some preliminary rulings last week (excerpt reference to "West" is referring to a UGA First Amendment professor Sonja R. West) -

Trump’s Georgia trial is readied for TV, while others are hard to see

By Paul Farhi

Updated September 1, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. EDT|Published September 1, 2023 at 4:23 p.m. EDT

(snip)

“The American people have a right to judge the evidence and the arguments for themselves,” she said. “Cameras are essentially a technology that lets us make the courtroom big enough for anyone who is interested to have a front-row seat.” West said live TV or streaming creates more public interest and “greater emotional impact” by enabling viewers “to see things like facial expression, gestures, and body language.”

It may also show the public what didn’t happen — a factor in combating misinformation and conspiracy theories. In his ruling, McAfee essentially agreed. In addition to a streaming camera, he agreed that news organizations could have a shared TV camera, known as a “pool” camera, in court during the trial. He also said reporters could bring smartphones and laptops into his courtroom, ensuring minute-by-minute updates on social media.

McAfee said in his order that the use of laptops and cellphones “will not disrupt the administration of justice” as long as they’re not use to make or receive phone calls or to record the proceedings. The order also includes some protection for jurors; cameras will not be permitted to show them, a measure designed for their safety and to ensure that outsiders won’t seek to influence them.

The access requests were made by a group of Atlanta TV stations and a coalition of news organizations that included The Washington Post, CNN and the New York Times.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/09/01/trump-trial-livestream-televised/

So I think Fani Willis is trying to complete the "anonymity" piece by keeping their names out of the record too.

[iluvtennis]

16. Thanks so much for the clarifying info - much appreciated. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

17. You are welcome

That state has always freaked me out (and I have relatives that live down there ).

[4lbs]

15. That's true. We have usually been provided with the jury makeup, but not

their actual names or faces.

I.E. They might reveal that a jury may consist of say, 8 men, 4 women, ages 30 to 70. 5 white, 3 black, 2 Latino, 2 Asian.

That's all we would get.

However, knowing the Dumpster's compunction for blurting out names and causing all sorts of additional problems, DA Fani Willis could be trying to limit that information to him and his lawyers. Hence the "doxxing" worry cited.

[housecat]

12. "Death from a thousand cuts" has begun

[republianmushroom]

18. agree

[The Roux Comes First]

19. There Are More Than a Few Truly Sick People Out There (How Else Did the yam Get Elected?)

And it is past time that both the plain folks just doing their jury service and the others being paid to sustain our system of justice be properly protected. Leaks and attempts to threaten should be promptly punished. Severely.

[Warpy]

20. Duh, YEAH, we know what that man is by now

I think they should be seated behind a screen so no one in the courtroom can try to ID them "for the cause."

[BumRushDaShow]

22. Apparently the judge ruled last week that the camera will not show them

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3126279

(normally they are shown but it is up to the judge)

[Martin68]

21. Sound like an opportunity for Trump to commit another felony.

[Wonder Why]

23. The media will be fighting each other for bragging rights to be the first to out one.