President Donald Trump's constant Twitter commentary about the Roger Stone case has made an already chaotic, years-long proceeding into an even greater circus.
Trump's former campaign advisor Roger Stone was convicted by a jury of his peers on numerous felony charges, including lying to Congress and obstructing justice. The Justice Department took the nearly unprecedented step of overriding its own prosecutors' sentencing recommendation after Trump tweeted in his former advisor's defense.
All four prosecutors resigned as a result. Stone was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
The Trump-induced chaos didn't end there.
Accusations against jurors on the case and against Judge Amy Berman Jackson herself have become a mainstay on Trump's rambling Twitter feed ever since.
Trump accused the jury's foreperson of bias because she had tweeted critically of Trump in the past.
As the President tweeted against a private citizen doing her constitutional duty, Roger Stone requested a new trial. At a recent hearing to determine whether allegations about a corrupt process were at all viable, every juror who testified said the foreperson did an exemplary and unbiased job.
One of those jurors—Seth Cousins—is now admonishing Trump in a scathing op-ed from the Washington Post.
Titled I was a juror in the Roger Stone trial. Attacking our foreperson undermines our service., Cousins comes to the foreperson's defense in the piece.
He writes:
"The jury foreperson, who has been the subject recently of numerous ad hominem attacks, was actually one of the strongest advocates for the rights of the defendant and for a rigorous process. She expressed skepticism at some of the government's claims and was one of the last people to vote to convict on the charge that took most of our deliberation time."
Since revealing her identity on Facebook, the forewoman has been the subject of constant attacks and threats from the Right, with the President leading the way.
Cousins continued:
"When the president attacks our jury's foreperson, he is effectively attacking every American who takes time off work, arranges child care and otherwise disrupts their life temporarily to participate in this civic duty. His attacks denigrate both our service and the concept of equal justice under U.S. law."
He went on to say that there was "no factual basis" for the President's claims that the Stone trial was tainted or that the foreperson acted improperly.
Others agreed.
Many suspect that Trump will pardon Stone or commute his sentence.
For deeper insight into Trump's corruption, check out Sinking in the Swamp, available here.
