Federal judge denies new criminal trial for Roger Stone – By Colleen Long (Associated Press) / April 17 2020
A federal judge on Thursday denied a request for a new trial made by Trump ally Roger Stone following his conviction on charges related to the Russia investigation.
Stone claimed the jury forewoman was biased and petitioned for a new trial; his first such request was denied. It prompted Judge Amy Berman Jackson to call nearly all jurors back for a hearing, a highly unusual move, after Stone’s attorneys also alleged misconduct after some jurors spoke out publicly following the case.
During a trial, jurors are not allowed to read news accounts or social media posts about the case or discuss it with anyone until deliberations, but after their verdict is rendered, they are released from duty and can speak publicly if they wish.
New trial requests are not uncommon, but this case was surprising in many ways — including a barrage of tweets from President Donald Trump on the trial, threats by the attorney general to quit and the departure of the entire prosecution team following Justice Department leadership’s decision to back off its sentencing request.
