Fox News analyst Judge Napolitano vented his frustration about Monday’s “secret” hearing in the Roger Stone trial, claiming the presiding judge is biased against President Trump’s associate.
Napolitano blasted Attorney General William Barr for allowing D.C. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson to place a gag rule on Stone and hold a brief with regard to allegations that a juror and the judge herself were biased against Stone from the outset of the trial.
“No one should be happy about secrecy whether you like Stone or dislike him — whether you like the president or you dislike him,” said Napolitano on Varney and Co. Tuesday morning. “This is a hearing to determine whether there was jury impropriety in the trial — whether a juror failed to disclose her preconceived prejudice against President Trump and against Roger Stone. Why is it secret? We’re not being given a reason.”
He added, “This is absolutely Stalinistic.”
Claims of juror imprudence and calls for a mistrial have swirled during and after Stone’s trial. Jackson has been criticized for her handling of the case after she praised the “integrity” of the jurors. It was also revealed earlier this month that juror Tomeka Hart made several anti-Trump posts on social media, including sharing a tweet from CNN commentator Bakari Sellers that criticized Republicans for their unhappiness over Stone’s arrest in 2019.
“She has gagged Stone,” added Napolitano. “It is one thing to gag the defendant during a trial because you don’t want them going out talking to the press, and it’s a way to communicate with the jury. There is no jury. There is no trial. He’s been convicted. He’s been sentenced. The gag serves no legitimate governmental purpose, and yet, she’s enforcing it on him and his lawyers. Question: Why is the Bill Barr Department of Justice not opposing this secrecy and not opposing this gag rule?”
Last week, Stone received a 40-month prison sentence after being found guilty of witness tampering and lying to the House Intelligence Committee. His legal team asked Jackson to recuse herself from the case over her praise of the jury, but she denied the request over the weekend.
