[KARAH RUCKER]

WHILE THE NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL OF DONALD TRUMP IS OVER –

THE CONTROVERSY ISN’T.

THE LATEST REVOLVES AROUND A FACEBOOK USER WHO CLAIMED TO BE THE COUSIN OF A JUROR WHO HAD ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE OF TRUMP’S GUILTY VERDICT.

IS HE ACTUALLY THE COUSIN OF A JUROR?

OR AN INTERNET TROLL?

IS IT A SERIOUS IMPLICATION THAT COULD RESULT IN A MISTRIAL?

OR WAS IT ALL JUST A BAD JOKE AND NOT EVEN REAL?

HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW.

IT’S THIS LETTER FROM JUDGE JUAN MERCHAN THAT SPARKED THE LATEST BUZZ.

IN IT –

THE JUDGE ACKNOWLEDGES THE AUTHENTICITY OF A CONTROVERSIAL FACEBOOK COMMENT.

THE LETTER IS FROM FRIDAY AND READS

“TODAY THE COURT BECAME AWARE OF A COMMENT THAT WAS POSTED ON THE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM’S PUBLIC FACEBOOK PAGE AND WHICH I NOW BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.”

THIS IS A SCREENSHOT SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA SAID TO BE THE ORIGINAL COMMENT – WHICH MATCHES VERBATIM THE COMMENT IN THE JUDGE’S LETTER.

THE USER – IDENTIFIED AS “MICHAEL ANDERSON” – STATES:

MY COUSIN IS A JUROR AND SAYS TRUMP IS GETTING CONVICTED. THANK YOU FOLKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK!!!”

THE JUDGE SAYS THE COMMENT WAS A WEEK OLD –

WHICH MEANS IT CAME **BEFORE THE JURY CONVICTED TRUMP.

THE COMMENT HAS SINCE BEEN DELETED.

WHILE THE LETTER FROM THE JUDGE CONFIRMS THE COMMENT EXISTED –

IT DOES **NOT CONFIRM THE CONTENT OF THE COMMENT.

WHILE THE PERSON WHO POSTED IT CLAIMED TO BE RELATED TO A JUROR –

ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE REPORTS – THE SAME PERSON LATER POSTED IT WAS ALL A JOKE.

THIS SCREENSHOT IS SAID TO BE MICHAEL ANDERSON’S RESPONSE TO THE UPROAR.

TELLING PEOPLE TO “TAKE IT EASY.”

AND DESCRIBED HIS COMMENT AS “INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED TO DERAIL DISCUSSIONS OR CAUSE THE BIGGEST REACTION WITH THE LEAST EFFORT.”

THE REACTION –

WAS BIG.

SEVERAL REPUBLICANS INCLUDING TRUMP HIMSELF –

CALLED FOR A MISTRIAL OVER THE COMMENT –

WHILE SOME LEGAL ANALYSTS SAY THERE IS A “RELATIVELY SMALL CHANCE” THE COMMENT HAS ANY TRUTH TO IT.

COURT OFFICIALS TOLD THE WASHINGTON POST THE COURT HAS A DUTY TO INFORM ALL PARTIES OF SUCH ONLINE CONTENT.

EVEN IF THE CREDIBILITY OF THE COMMENT’S CLAIM IS IN QUESTION.