Judge in Trump's upcoming defamation trial cites clerk attacks in ordering anonymous jury

A second defamation case brought by columnist E. Jean Carroll, who won a $5 million jury verdict accusing Donald Trump of sexual abuse and defamation — will be held before an anonymous jury to protect them from media scrutiny, followers of the former president, and the former president himself.

"...the Court finds that '[I]f jurors' identities [in the trial of this case] were disclosed, there would be a strong likelihood of unwanted media attention of the jurors, influence attempts, and/or harassment or worse by supports of Mr. Trump [and/or by Mr. Trump himself]," according to the Nov. 3 order by US district judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan and first reported by Politico's Kyle Cheney.

Carroll is seeking at least $10 million in damages.

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The judge's decision to do everything to siphon off the jury, short of sequestering them, was based on a a variety of factors; but prime among them was the fact that the 45th president has twice been fined for shirking a gag order put in place by New York Judge Arthur Engoron — both of which involved the judge's clerk, who the former president accused of being "partisan."

It appears Kaplan has kept a watchful eye on that case and Trump's behavior.

"Indeed, in the very recent past, Mr. Trump has been fined twice fore violating a gag order issued by a New York judge in response to comments made by Mr. Trump in relation to the judge's clerk," Kaplan wrote in the order. "In view of Mr. Trump's repeated public statements with respect to the [Carroll] and the court in this case as well as in other cases against him, and the extensive media coverage that this case has received and that is likely to increase once the trial is imminent or underway , the Court finds that there is strong reason to believe the jury requires the protections prescribed below."

So the decision then will strike the "names, addresses and places of employment" of each prospective juror as well as jurors who "ultimately are elected" to serve during trial.

What's more, the order will keep the jury pooled from the public, with them meeting at an "undisclosed" location before and after trial day and having U.S. Marshals agents delivering their lunches.