Thread by @Emily_Saul_

As the person who served as pool reporter in this case (and in others), this filing by @MichaelAvenatti's lawyers is ludicrous. Some thoughts: (1/)
docs.google.com/document/d/1eo…

@MichaelAvenatti A reporter’s presence at sidebar does not implicitly “chill” potential jurors or prevent them from being truthful. We are just one of many people crowded around the person, scribbling in notebooks (2/)

@MichaelAvenatti If the potential juror is properly admonished by the judge, they know we are there and they have the option to ask us to step away (3/)

@MichaelAvenatti Our presence is certainly less “chilling” than that of the defendant, who has a legal right to also appear at sidebar. It’s harder to say someone sucks when they’re standing right there. (4/)

@MichaelAvenatti We are not intruding on the process. We are part of the process. We are a proxy for the public. (5/)

@MichaelAvenatti We are not there to tell the world you can’t serve because of your ulcerative colitis. No one cares about that. (6/)

@MichaelAvenatti We are there because voir dire is an important part of the trial, which we have a right to cover. (7/)

@MichaelAvenatti If potential jurors read articles published during the course of voir dire, that is their fault, not ours. They are expressly told not to do so. (8/)

@MichaelAvenatti There is zero evidence offered by the defense that potential jurors in @MichaelAvenatti's last case read any articles published during voir dire, and that those articles impacted their own ability to serve impartially if they did in fact read them. (9/)

@MichaelAvenatti It is within the court’s discretion to decide whether or not we belong there. (10/)

@MichaelAvenatti EDNY judges decided we belonged there during voir dire for #ElChapo, #Nxivm’s Keith Raniere, and #MartinShkreli. (11/)

CORRECTED TWEET: SDNY judge Paul Gardephe decided we belonged there previously. Judge Furman should do the same and deny this motion. (12/12)