A CNN panel on Monday said they found it striking that an alternate juror in former President Donald Trump’s case can attend a dentist appointment while the defendant cannot attend momentous events.
Opening arguments for Trump’s trial related to a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels began on Monday, and the judge overseeing the case, Juan Merchan, reportedly will end the session early to allow one of the alternate jurors to attend the appointment. Merchan previously ruled that Trump must be in the courtroom throughout the trial because of his status as a criminal defendant, meaning he is not permitted to attend the Supreme Court’s Thursday presidential immunity argument and may not be able to go to his son Barron’s graduation. (RELATED: ‘I Hate Him’: Ex-Trump Attorney Tells CNN Irish Woman Who Went Off About Trump Not A ‘Dangerous Juror’)
“It’s interesting. Court today was supposed to go to 2:00,” CNN legal correspondent Paula Reid said. “That’s an abbreviated day to recognize Passover, but instead it‘s actually going to go to 12:30 because one of the alternates has a dentist appointment. So, the judge said that he is going to allow that alternate to go to the dentist appointment, saying we can‘t afford to lose one of our alternates.”
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“Just pretty remarkable to, I don’t know. I’m curious to know what the former president thinks about having to stop today at 12:30 because of a juror’s dentist appointment,” host Anderson Cooper said.
The judge reportedly said it is imperative to allow the alternate juror to attend the appointment to retain them on the case.
“And the fact that he can’t attend Thursday‘s historic Supreme Court argument on presidential immunity and there’s an open question about whether he’ll be able to attend his son’s graduation,” Reid added. “The judge said he’ll consider that, but look, he’s a criminal defendant. He has to attend every single day of court unless he gets a waiver, but the jurors, the judge has signaled he’s going to work around their schedule.”
Two jurors were initially excused on Thursday before the full jury was eventually seated. MSNBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos predicted on Monday that there is a possibility for a mistrial if more jurors are dismissed. (RELATED: Dismissed Juror Tells MSNBC Of ‘Jarring’ Experience With Trump In Court: ‘This Is Just Another Guy’)
“Will six alternates be enough to cover this trial?” he asked during a “Morning Joe” segment. “I hope so. But if what we’ve seen so far, if that’s the rate of loss of jurors, two before we even start the trial, that could be a real problem and that could lead to a mistrial, which in, I think, the defense’s view, is a win.”
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