Politics

Fake news CNN, others, demand names of Manafort jurors — Judge says no, cites threats, safety concerns

On Friday, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III refused to release the names of jurors in the Paul Manafort trial, citing threats made to him and concerns for the safety of those serving on the jury.  The demand came from a coalition of media outlets, including CNN, the network once dubbed the “least-trusted” name in cable news.

According to the Associated Press, one of the outlets demanding the information:

A coalition of media organizations, including The Associated Press, filed a motion requesting the names of jurors, as well as access to sealed transcripts of bench conferences that have occurred during the three-week trial.

Jury lists are presumed to be public unless a judge articulates a reason for keeping them secret.

Eliis said during a hearing Friday afternoon he is concerned for the “peace and safety of the jurors.”

“I’ve received criticism and threats,” Ellis said. “I imagine they would, too.”

The judge said he is currently under the protection of U.S. marshals. He declined to delve into specifics, but said he’s been taken aback by the level of interest in the trial.

“The judge will hold a hearing on a motion by CNN and media organizations to unseal the names and addresses of jurors as well as other parts of the trial that are currently secret,” CNN crime and justice reporter Shimon Prokupecz said in a tweet announcing the hearing.  “A thirsty press is essential in a free country,” the Judge said in announcing the hearing.

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

Quite a few said they would not want their information released if they were on the jury:

Maybe that’s what some of these outlets secretly want…

https://twitter.com/Donz_Resists/status/1030465797192384513

Yes, it could, and no, it’s not.

“I don’t feel right if I release their names,” Judge Ellis said. “I think there would be a substantial amount of people afraid… to do so would create a risk of harm to them.”

Media outlets demanding the information — including names and addresses — had a different point of view, the Daily Caller reported:

The news outlets cited previous rulings that allow for the release of jurors’ names and addresses except in cases “when there is strong reason to conclude that the jury needs protection from interference or harm, or that the integrity of the jury’s function will be compromised if the jury does not remain anonymous.”

“Here, there is no reason to believe that extraordinary circumstances exist that would justify keeping jurors’ names sealed — particularly after they have rendered their verdict,” reads the motion.

“This is not a case involving organized crime or other circumstances in which the potential for violence or corruption requires an anonymous jury.”

“The Media Coalition is unaware of any credible threats of physical harm or other retaliation against jurors that would override the presumption that their names are matters of public record.”

The Washington Post, The New York Times, NBC, Politico, and BuzzFeed are among the group of left-wing media outlets demanding the information.

The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft sarcastically noted: “It’s not like CNN has a reputation of harassing seniors at their homes for posting pro-Trump events on Facebook.”

You mean, like this?

Related:

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Joe Newby

A 10-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Joe ran for a city council position in Riverside, Calif., in 1991 and managed successful campaigns for the Idaho state legislature. Co-author of "Banned: How Facebook enables militant Islamic jihad," Joe wrote for Examiner.com from 2010 until it closed in 2016 and his work has been published at Newsbusters, Spokane Faith and Values and other sites. He now runs the Conservative Firing Line.

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