An open letter to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts
Dear Justice Roberts,
I hope you would agree that juror misconduct is a serious issue which challenges the integrity of our judicial system. When jurors, for example, violate their oath to give impartial justice, such jurors *must* be removed from court proceedings. Is this not the legal standard?
At least two jurors in the Trump impeachment trial over which you are presiding have frequently and flagrantly violated their oath by posting pro-Trump, pro-acquittal messages and videos on their social media pages throughout the trial. These are my state's senators, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. I have heard and/or seen evidence of other GOP senators violating the standards you set forth, such as no cellphones and no reading material, however I am going to focus on Cruz' and Cornyn's misconduct. I follow both senators on social media and have been appalled at how both have been dismissive of the prosecution while fawning over the defense.
Numerous constituents, including myself, informed Cruz and Cornyn, in comments attached to such posts, that they were violating their oath as impartial jurors and needed to stop. They persist.
Justice Roberts, our democracy is on the line. We must have jurors who understand and follow their duty to be independent and impartial jurors. We need jurors who respect you and the impeachment proceedings much more than Cruz and Cornyn have shown.
We also, frankly, need a chief justice who will hold senators to account for their behavior. Cruz, Cornyn, and any other senators who refuse to abide by their oaths should be removed from the jury.
Thank you for your attention.
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