Federal Judge Dismisses 40 Jurors After Many Admit ‘Hate’ for Musk

Nearly half of the prospective jurors in Elon Musk’s civil securities trial were dismissed after many admitted they “hate” him.

The unusually high number of removals underscores the challenge of selecting an impartial jury in a case tied to Musk’s 2022 purchase of Twitter, now known as X.

According to Mediaite, U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer dismissed 40 of 93 potential jurors during selection in federal court in San Francisco. The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, alleges Musk violated securities laws by making misleading public statements before completing the Twitter acquisition.

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Bloomberg Law reported the trial is expected to last about three weeks and could include testimony from Musk and former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, raising the stakes as jury selection narrows.

“As a public figure he will excite strong views,” Breyer said during jury selection.

Court coverage indicates several dismissed jurors expressed negative opinions about Musk’s business practices, political associations, or management decisions, with one saying they would feel a “moral obligation” to convict him in a criminal case.

The dismissals highlight broader concerns about whether high-profile executives can receive neutral hearings amid widespread public scrutiny.

The trial is scheduled to begin March 2, with final jury selection continuing ahead of opening arguments.

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