Judge In Trump Trial Lays Out Beefed Up Security Measures to Protect Jurors’ Identities

AP Photo/Elizabeth Williams

After judges, courthouse staffers, and others were the target of numerous threats while former President Donald Trump navigates his various legal hurdles, the judge in his civil defamation trial penalty phase is taking no chances on the safety of the jurors.

Politico legal reporter Erica Orden has been covering the defamation trial of Trump, who was found liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll and then later defaming her. Trump appeared in court on Tuesday, the day after his decisive victory at the Iowa caucuses, and once again claimed his innocence even though he has already had two judgments against him.

Perhaps seeing a disturbing pattern, Orden reported on Twitter/X that U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan is ramping up tighter security for jurors, including keeping them completely anonymous, even to each other: “[M]eaning no one including the parties, their lawyers, reporters or even the judge will know their real names. He also suggests they speak to each other using names other than their real ones.”

Jurors will also be “transported to court each day by gathering at certain meeting spots, from where they will be driven to court and brought in via underground garage.”

The jurors will be transported to court each day by gathering at certain meeting spots, from where they will be driven to court and brought in via underground garage, Kaplan says.

He also instructed jurors not tell anyone, including family, that they are serving on this case.

— erica orden (@eorden) January 16, 2024

Trump has been using his court appearances as campaigning opportunities, framing himself as a victim of a corrupt justice system led by President Joe Biden. As a result, some of his most unhinged supporters have engaged in harassment and made death threats against those working on behalf of the prosecution, or even just the courthouse staff.

Dave Aronberg, State Attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida (where Trump calls home) and a Democrat, provided a statement to Mediaite:

I’ve seen anonymous juries but I’ve never seen a jury that can’t use real names to each other, although it makes sense if you want to keep this airtight. Sadly, we are now living in a country where threats of violence against your political and legal opponents is becoming routine.

Sarah Rumpf contributed to this report.