Extra: In Miles Guo Trial Juror Googled William Je Then Removed in Sealed Proceeding

inside knowledge on X for Subscribers here and below the paywall line below

by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Substack

SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 12 – After a circus-like civil case involving Guo Wengui in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which Inner City Press closely covered, here, March 15, 2023 saw the unsealing of a twelve-count Indictment of Miles Guo onvarious wire fraud, securities fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering charges.

On May 22, Inner City Press live tweeted jury selection, here.

   Many were excused from the jury pool.

More detail / some analysis on X for Subscribers here & Substack here

At the end of May 23, Judge Torres told the remaining jurors that the trial would start Friday. Thread.

More details on X for Subscribers here and Substack here

And it did. Inner City Press live tweeted the opening and first two witnesses, an FBI agent about the Greenwich search, and a Dallas based Lamborghini dealer, thread here.

Jump cut to June 24, when in an order on reconsideration it was ordered that "Guo’s motion to permit the testimony of Paul Doran, his expert on the Chinese Communist Party (“CCP”), is GRANTED only as to Doran’s testimony on (1) the CCP’s opposition to specific political causes for which Guo has publicly advocated; and (2) the “secret, extra-legal Chinese police station” identified in New York City, and is otherwise DENIED"- full 17 page order on Patreon here.

On July 1, when the trial did not meet, Guo's lawyer wrote in that "the defense reiterates that it does not intend to argue to the jury that the prosecution team in this case or the U.S. Attorney’s Office in general are acting as agents of a foreign power. But that is entirely different from arguing that the Chinese Communist Party is seeking to silence Mr. Guo through a number of different methods, including by forcing investors to complain falsely to U.S. courts and regulators about Mr. Guo’s conduct" - full 8 page letter on Patreon here.

On July 2, after the government completed its case and rested, the defense put on the stand a valuation expert - and then Maggie Sklar as a crypto expert, previously with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, charging $1450 an hour.

On July 3, as the defense put on its Fox Hunt expert, Paul Doran, questions were asked about Broidy and, yes, the expensive mattresses (and COVID masks), thread

On July 8 the defense put on a real estate helper who accompanied Guo to a property in Arizona and then Mahwah, thread

On July 11, defense summation and US rebuttal - then a jury note at 5 pm. From the thread.

On July 12, a juror disclosed they had Google William Je, then things went sealed - thread below, and inside knowledge on X for Subscribers here and below the paywall line below

Thread:

ALERT: In US v. Miles Guo, Judge Analisa Torres just emerged to say that a juror disclosed they Googled co-defendant William Je - lawyers stared down. Expect mistrial request - and push back. Inner City Press will live tweet, thread below  Judge Torres: One of the jurors disclosed that they had Google William Je this morning. [Guo's lawyers are standing and talking to each other; prosecutors stare down at the note]  Judge Torres: The most recent case we have found about replacing a juror is US v. David Delva, 858 F. 3d 135

Guo's lead lawyer: We dealt with this in US v. Schulte [his co-counsel was his opponent - see the Schulte book, Brutal Kangaroo

 Guo's lawyer: Can we just have a couple of minutes? Judge: Couple of minutes [Here's the case Judge Torres just cited see esp. Juror No. 7 was replaced with an alternate and the reconstituted jury was instructed to begin deliberations anew  https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-delva-8 Guo's lawyer: We want questioning of the foreperson, ask which juror made the disclosure - and we want it not in the witness box, but in the robing room [that is, sealed] AUSA: We agree - see 634 F3d 127, there does not seem to be any taint  Judge Torres: Another note, 11:16 am, we the jury per last note, we have stopped deliberations pending instructions. Should we continue to pause? Or should we resume? Judge: I'd like to call the foreperson into the robing room  [And, without opportunity for the Press to object - as in the cited Schulte case both Judges Pauley and Furman allowed - the matter goes behind closed doors, without even a pool reporter present.

 [11:42 am, Judge, lawyers and foreperson are still in the robing room, sealed.

 At 11:50 am, they're back from the robing room. Judge Torres: Please have the jurors brought in.

Jury entering! Judge Torres: Members of the jury, you must cease your deliberations until I tell you that you can begin again. I hope to be doing that shortly.  Judge: Is there a request that any item be removed from the jury room? Guo's lawyer: Only if the juror we have removed made notes on any documents. Judge: I'll have my staff review the materials. If there are no notes, shall the items be returned to the jury room?  Judge: I'll let you know when the alternate arrives.

[Judge leaves; Guo is led back into the holding cell to wait]

inside knowledge on X for Subscribers here and below the paywall line below