By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell book
BBC - Honduras - CIA Trial book - NY Mag
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 12 – The awaited trial of Nikola founder Trevor Milton for wire and securities fraud began, in its way, on September 12 with jury selection. Inner City Press was there. Thread:
Now in Courtroom 318 of 40 Foley Square, the lawyer mill around, waiting for pool of prospective jurors. Standing at railing is Milton, whispering with two.
Even here in courtroom 318, the witness & counsel boxes have COVID Plexiglass. But here, the jurors will retired to & ultimate deliberate in 1 rather than 2 jury rooms.
There are other trials kicking off today, hence the delay in jury pool walk-over from 500 Pearl Street.
Update of noon: we're only on the 2d prospective juror, who says he's read an article about #Nikola. Judge Ramos says, Why don't you come up and we'll speak to you at sidebar (non-public). Milton's lawyers go up; he remains at defense table.
Long sidebar is over. Mukasey returns to defense table and whispers with Trevor. No decision is reached - Judge Ramos moves on to prospective juror #3, who says she works at Capital One Bank where she was investigated, questioned 30 times
Capital One prospective juror clarifies that she is a teller who got robbed and so was questioned 30 times in 2020, height of COVID bank robbery apparently.
Judge Ramos: Could you be fair? Prospective Juror 3: Yes. This could take a while...
Prospective Juror 4 says she can't read the small type of the jury questionnaire. Judge Ramos asks someone to go up and get his extra pair of magnifying / reading glasses.
Prospective Juror 5 has read about Nikola - another long sidebar begins. To be continued.
The case is US v. Milton, 21-cr-478 (Ramos)
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