Donald Trump's "hush money" conviction was thrown into doubt by a Facebook comment that suggested the outcome was predetermined, as Trump has repeatedly alleged.
Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the "hush money" trial, caught wind of the comment and notified Trump's lawyers in a letter.
The comment read, “My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted. Thank you folks for all your hard work!!!!”
In a letter, Merchan wrote, "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."
The post appears to be a false alarm as it was written by a self-described "professional" internet troll. Whether serious or not, the comment is unlikely to dispel speculation that the jury in Democratic Manhattan was prejudiced against Trump.
Trump's lawyers tried to have the trial moved to a different venue, but their requests were denied.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said a mistrial is possible if "outside influences are brought in" but the burden of proof is high.
"The defense must show both an improper outside influence and prejudice. Prejudice means the outcome may have been different," he said. "A stray comment on social media is not enough for a new trial."
According to legal analysts, Trump has a number of robust arguments for appealing the verdict, from Merchan's admission of prejudicial testimony to the unusual, slanted jury instructions.
The likelihood that Trump's appeal will not be resolved before the election means that the case has shifted to the court of public opinion, for now.
A recent poll found that 57% of Americans and 60% of independents agree with Trump that the case was politically motivated, despite the efforts of Democrats to use the case to paint Trump as a "convicted felon."
It remains to be seen how Merchan will handle the sentencing on July 11. Republicans have said they are prepared for the extraordinary possibility of Trump accepting his party's nomination from jail.
"At this point in time, we will have to wait and see kind of what the courts present us with the opportunity to do,” RNC co-chair Michael Whatley said. "But look, Donald Trump will communicate directly with the American voters the way that he always does.”
