Herson Cabreras, known as Juror Number 4, was surprised when the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York dismissed him from jury service. Cabreras, an IT professional and political consultant, felt like he was caught in a competition between the judge, the prosecution, and the defense. Trump is facing charges of falsifying business records in connection to a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels to influence the 2016 election. Another juror was also dismissed after stating she could no longer be impartial.
The controversy surrounding Cabreras’ dismissal arose when prosecutors brought up a 1991 incident where he and an associate were accused of tearing down political campaign signs in New York. Cabreras, now in his late 70s, barely remembered the incident and felt it was an excuse for prosecutors to remove him from the jury. During the courtroom confrontation, Cabreras expected the judge to intervene but felt let down when the judge allowed the prosecution to use the incident to push him off the panel. While it is unclear why prosecutors pursued the 1991 incident, jurors were required to disclose previous encounters with the law during the selection process.
Cabreras became known after making a comment about Trump being “fascinating and mysterious” during jury selection. He clarified that all he meant was that Trump creates controversy wherever he goes. Despite this, during his court appearance, Cabreras stated he didn’t even notice Trump. The entire situation left Cabreras feeling disillusioned and raised concerns about the judge’s management of the courtroom. He described the judge as “cowardly” for allowing the prosecution to use details from decades ago to remove him from the jury.
Cabreras expressed empathy for the other jurors and worried about how potential jurors might be treated if they were involved in the trial. Despite feeling he could have been impartial, Cabreras acknowledged his family was unhappy with the situation. Ultimately, he felt that being dismissed from the jury was a favor. He concluded by calling the judge a “cowardly judge” for allowing the prosecution to take advantage of details from his past. Asher Stockler, a reporter for The Journal News and the USA Today Network New York, covered this story. He can be reached via email at [email protected].
In conclusion, Herson Cabreras, who was known as Juror Number 4, was unexpectedly dismissed from Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York. The dismissal occurred after a dispute arose regarding a 1991 incident involving political campaign signs in which Cabreras was allegedly involved. Cabreras felt the issue was brought up as an excuse to remove him from the jury. He expressed disappointment in the judge’s handling of the situation and described him as “cowardly” for allowing the prosecution to use the incident to push him off the panel. Despite feeling he could have remained impartial, Cabreras acknowledged his family’s unhappiness with the ordeal.
