Ex-federal prosecutor compares Trump’s hush money case to a 'mafia trial'

When Donald Trump ally Roger Stone was on trial for obstruction of justice and witness tampering in 2019, Judge Amy Berman Jackson specifically asked jurors not to download Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather" on Netflix.

That's because some of the testimony mentioned Frank Pentangeli, one of the characters in "The Godfather, Part 2."

Trump and his close allies are known for making "Godfather" references. And in an MSNBC opinion column published on April 23, former federal prosecutor Joyce White Vance argues that Trump's hush money/falsifying business records trial has, in fact, resembled a "mafia trial" — especially when it comes to the fears of some of the jurors.

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Vance notes that one of the Trump jurors who had been selected "got scared off" and asked to be excused after "Fox News host Jesse Watters devoted a significant amount of airtime to discussing biographical details about her and why they might make her a problem for Trump."

"Her identity was as good as public, the juror told (Justice Juan) Merchan," Vance explains. "He eventually excused her. She was a juror, acceptable to both sides, who got scared off. It was the sort of tense courtroom scene you might expect in a mafia trial. But this is not a mafia trial — or at least, it's not supposed to be."

The MSNBC legal analyst continues, "Merchan has since ordered lawyers and members of the media to take even stricter precautions to protect juror identities. That he needed to do so is revealing. In a typical case, jurors' names are known and freely shared."

Vance stresses that the dismissed juror's fears should not be taken lightly, pointing out that in actual mafia trials, jurors have "feared reprisals if they voted to convict."

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"The idea that a former president and his followers could pose a threat to Americans performing their civic duty is something we must not forget amid the chaos," Vance warns. "It's easy to wave off as just another Trumpian quirk — until someone gets hurt. Trump has frequently invoked violence….. Is it any wonder some of the jurors in this case are concerned?"

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Joyce White Vance's full MSNBC column is available at this link.