## Trump’s Daily Comments Threaten Jury Pool, Warns Justice Department
The Justice Department’s special counsel, Jack Smith, sounded an alarm on Tuesday, expressing concerns that the daily comments from former President Donald Trump may taint the jury pool in Washington for the criminal case charging him with scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Smith warned that Trump’s provocative remarks about his team and U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who presides over the case, could potentially intimidate witnesses or contaminate jurors.
## Trump’s Social Media Attacks and The Justice Department’s Concerns
Trump’s inflammatory social media posts have been a central issue since the indictment was filed last month. His posts continued on Tuesday, even after the latest concerns were raised. Earlier in the day, Trump shared a New York Post story about Judge Chutkan on his Truth Social platform, openly questioning her fairness in his case. Later in the evening, he attacked Smith, labeling him a “deranged” prosecutor with “unchecked and insane aggression.”
The Justice Department has repeatedly signaled their worries about the impact of Trump’s social media posts. Tuesday’s complaint from the department underscores the extent to which Trump’s social media attacks are testing the patience of prosecutors and risk exposing him to sanctions from the judge. Judge Chutkan has set the trial date for March 4, 2024, in an effort to keep the case moving forward.
## Trump’s Admonitions and Conditions of Release
Trump has faced admonitions in other cases as well, with a condition of his release in a separate prosecution in Atlanta being that he refrain from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses, or victims in the case. Trump has been embroiled in several legal battles, including federal election subversion and a state case in Atlanta, among others.
## Dispute Over Justice Department’s Motion and Trump’s Daily Statements
The subject came up again in a dispute over a motion the Justice Department wanted to file under seal, with a redacted version to be filed on the public docket. Defense lawyers objected, arguing that they were entitled to review the Justice Department’s filings and any proposed sealed exhibits before they could be docketed.
The Smith team responded that it would be untenable to take several weeks to decide whether “every ordinary filing that refers to Sensitive Materials may be docketed.” They wrote that such a requirement would halt litigation in this case, which is particularly infeasible given the pressing matters before the court, including Trump’s daily extra-judicial statements that threaten to prejudice the jury pool.
## Trump’s Other Prosecutions
Trump is also facing three other prosecutions besides the federal election subversion case. He is charged with 18 other individuals in a state case in Atlanta for plotting to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Smith has also federally charged Trump for illegally hoarding classified documents. In New York, Trump is accused of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment to a porn actor.
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Original Story at apnews.com – 2023-09-06 01:55:00