About 24 hours earlier than a Manhattan jury made Donald Trump the first-ever former president to turn into a convicted felon — an individual going by the identify “Michael Anderson” made a little-noticed Fb remark.
“Thanks for all of your onerous towards the MAGA crazies!” he wrote in a touch upon an unrelated submit on the official web page of the New York State Unified Court docket System.
“My cousin is a juror on Trumps felony case and they’ll convict him tomorrow in keeping with her. Thanks 🙏 New York courts!!!! ❤️”
In a Friday afternoon letter, New York Supreme Court docket Justice Juan Merchan, who presided over the trial, alerted prosecutors and Trump’s protection legal professionals concerning the remark.
“At the moment, the Court docket grew to become conscious of a remark that was posted on the Unified Court docket System’s public Fb web page and which I now deliver to your consideration,” Merchan wrote.
New York courts
Nevertheless it’s removed from clear that the remark is real.
Anderson — if that’s his actual identify — claims to be a troll.
Enterprise Insider situated the Fb remark, which was timestamped 4:39 p.m. on Might 29, a day earlier than the jury verdict. It was made in response to an unrelated Fb submit a couple of program from the New York state courtroom system to advertise range.
“Now we’re married ❤️ 😁,” he posted in response to a different Fb remark, which criticized his purported cousin.
Fb
On his Fb web page, Anderson describes himself as “Transabled & knowledgeable shit poster.” His profile image is a picture claiming his account is restricted. His cowl picture broadcasts the slogan: “Fb: Losing peoples lives since 2004.”
Few posts are publicly seen on Anderson’s web page. Seen ones seem like meals movies and comedic Reels, a product from Fb proprietor Meta that seeks to emulate TikTok movies.
Fb
“As acceptable, the Court docket knowledgeable the events as soon as it realized of this on-line content material,” Al Baker, a spokesperson for the New York State Unified Court docket System, instructed Enterprise Insider, declining to remark additional on the incident.
Trump legal professionals Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles, in addition to representatives for the Manhattan District Legal professional’s workplace, didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark from Enterprise Insider.
Anderson didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from BI despatched by way of Fb, however in a public submit added to his profile shortly after BI reached out, he wrote, “Take it simple, I am knowledgeable shitposter,” together with a laughing emoji and the Wikipedia definition of shitposting.
Whereas it stays unclear how vital the Fb submit will turn into in the course of the proceedings main as much as Trump’s sentencing, it might complicate issues.
Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, instructed BI that the social submit, although apparently trolling, might increase questions on whether or not exterior influences managed to seek out their manner into the jury deliberation room, which is without doubt one of the few instances the protection might use jury deliberations as grounds to enchantment for a brand new trial.
Nonetheless, he mentioned, the burden for a brand new trial is excessive and would require the protection to point out an outdoor affect prejudiced the jury sufficient that the result could have been completely different with out publicity to it.
“A stray touch upon social media isn’t sufficient for a brand new trial,” Rahmani mentioned. “But when the protection can get a declaration from a juror that they mentioned the case with members of the family, then Decide Merchan would maintain an evidentiary listening to to look at the juror to find out whether or not the improper affect and prejudice happened. I do not assume an announcement from the member of the family is sufficient if it isn’t supported by a juror affidavit.”
