Judge in Roger Stone case appears skeptical of arguments for new trial

Washington — The federal judge overseeing the case of Roger Stone appeared skeptical of arguments by his legal team that Stone deserves a new trial because a member of the jury that convicted him was politically biased and "concealed evidence" during the jury selection process.Judge Amy Berman Jackson oversaw two hearings in U.S. District Court in Washington on Tuesday regarding a motion to grant Stone a new trial. "She might have just liked the headline, who knows." The judge said she would not make a finding about whether to grant a new trial on Tuesday, and would "request a limited questioning of the juror."During the first hearing, Jackson said she was concerned about shining a light on the jurors in an open hearing, saying "they are deserving of the public's respect and deserve to have their privacy protected." She barred both sides from using the names or numbers of the jurors in question, including the foreperson."I think it is without question that this is a highly publicized case, and in a highly polarized political environment, in which the president himself has shown a spotlight on the jury through his Twitter platform," Jackson said.