Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
The same came unto him by night ... Some have supposed that the night interview resulted from Nicodemus' fear of his peers in the Sanhedrin, but the idea of secrecy must be imported into the text.  It is just as reasonable to suppose that the night afforded the best opportunity.  In the absence of certain knowledge, one conjecture is as good as another. Although Nicodemus spoke up on behalf of Jesus before the Sanhedrin (John 7:45-52), it is not recorded that he did so when that body condemned Jesus to death, hence, the inference that he was not present at that trial. After Jesus' death, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea prepared the body for burial (John 19:39,40).  One can hope that, after the resurrection, this sincere, fair-minded man became a loyal disciple.