I had no idea that this case would excite these emotions
Apparently, before this trial the judge lived under a rock. Unbelievable this jury has not been sequestered. And so, in that decision, Ellis has not just put his finger on the scale, he has sat on it with all his weight. Whilst I would be surprised if Manafort gets off, I don't discount it. But, it could easily be a hung jury, and that would come down more to Ellis' handling of the case, than the prosecution not having met the burden of proof of M's guilt. But that is just imho.
'Jurors weighing the evidence against Manafort have long known that they’re assigned to a high-profile case; the packed courtroom, reporters dashing out to file stories and fleet of satellite trucks deployed around the Alexandria, Virginia, courthouse leave little doubt of that.'
' ..... Adding to the tension surrounding the trial, Ellis said Friday he was aware of unspecified “threats” related to the case, and he said jurors would likely be “scared” and “afraid” if their identities became public. Even if jurors didn’t hear directly about his comments on that front, their friends and family members surely have.
“I had no idea that this case would excite these emotions, I will tell you frankly,” the judge said, adding that he travels to a hotel each night in the company of federal marshals.'
www.politico.com/story/2018/08/20/manafort-trial-jury-trump-justice-788491
However:
www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/8/19/17752532/paul-manafort-jury-decision-judge-ellis