Could a single juror save former President Donald J. Trump from a guilty verdict and possible prison sentence in his Manhattan-based hush money trial? That is the growing opinion of some corporate media outlets — as well as the anti-Trump website, The Bulwark. They claim that a single juror cast a friendly gaze at former President Trump and his attorneys and surrogates.
A single juror, if he or she can hold out against pressure from their fellow jurors and Judge Juan Merchan, would — in theory — force a hung jury and mistrial. “There are eight people on that jury who definitely hate Trump. If there’s one person who doesn’t, it’s [this] juror,” a court attendee told The Bulwark in an interview. A Trump-world ally noted: “Whenever our allies or elected officials are in the courtroom, [the juror] sort of gets animated.”
They added: “When [Sen. J.D. Vance] came to court, that [juror’s] face lit up. It wasn’t the only time.”
However, a single holdout would be under immense pressure to join the other jurors in a unanimous verdict. Judge Merchan is likely to use an “Allen charge” to send the jury back for further deliberations. The “Allen charge” is essentially the judge directing the jury to review the evidence again and reach a conclusive verdict of guilty or not guilty.
While some may be pinning their hopes on a single juror, even among the eight who appear to have a distaste for former President Trump, there could be surprises. Two of the jurors are attorneys by trade and may be unconvinced by the prosecution‘s weak case. Additionally, just because an individual expresses displeasure with someone doesn’t mean they are necessarily prepared to send them to prison.
