The judge presiding over former President Donald Trump‘s forthcoming hush money trial in New York issued an order on Thursday limiting the disclosure of the names and other information of jurors.
Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan found “there is a likelihood of bribery, jury tampering, or of physical injury or harassment of juror(s).” His order did not include a ruling on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s request for a narrow gag order on the former president.
Information such as the businesses and residential addresses of prospective or sworn jurors has also been limited to the counsel of record for either party.
Merchan said there was good cause for a protective order because “the People demonstrate that Defendant has an extensive history of publicly and repeatedly attacking trial jurors and grand jurors,” according to his seven-page order. The judge clarified that the parties have not requested and the court has not agreed to close the courtroom during jury selection “or at any other time during the proceedings.”
Jury selection for the trial is slated to begin on March 25 in New York City.
The decision on Thursday marks a small victory for Bragg, who requested last month to prohibit disclosure of juror names other than to the parties involved in the case.
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Trump was charged last April with a 34-count indictment accusing him of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment that his then-attorney and fixer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels just days before the 2016 presidential election.
The former president has pleaded not guilty as his attorneys have decried the indictment as a “zombie case” that even the former district attorney chose not to bring following an investigation.
