Lawyers in Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial on Thursday selected 12 jurors who will assess his guilt or innocence over the coming weeks. This case stems from a hush-money payment to a porn star, making it the first-ever trial where a former U.S. president is the defendant. Nearly 200 potential jurors were questioned by both the defense and prosecution regarding their ability to be fair and impartial to the former president facing criminal charges. After the selection of 12 jurors, state Judge Juan Merchan announced, ‘We have our jury,’ with five more alternates yet to be chosen.
Earlier, the judge dismissed a juror who felt intimidated due to the disclosure of personal information. Another juror was excused after prosecutors raised concerns about undisclosed brushes with the law, ensuring a fair trial process.
Judge Juan Merchan imposed a partial gag order due to Trump’s criticisms of witnesses, prosecutors, and the judge, which raised concerns about potential harassment. “I don’t believe at this point that I can be fair and unbiased, and let the outside influences not affect my decision-making in the courtroom,” the juror said.
The legal battle surrounding former President Donald Trump has taken a dramatic turn as he faces 34 counts of falsifying business records. These charges stem from an alleged scheme with his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, to conceal a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Daniels claimed the money was hush money to silence her about a 2006 affair with Trump. Despite admitting to the payment, Trump denies any sexual encounter. If convicted, he could potentially face up to four years in prison.
The trial, expected to last up to eight weeks, is awaiting jury selection. Trump’s legal team made last-minute efforts to avert or delay the trial. Remarkably, even with a conviction, Trump could still run for the presidency.
With three other criminal trials and civil lawsuits pending, Trump’s legal woes continue to mount. The upcoming election rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden in November adds another layer of complexity to this already contentious legal battle.
Trump also faces criminal cases in Washington, Georgia and Florida, but the New York case is the only one certain to go to trial this year. Officials involved in those cases have reported receiving death threats and harassment after being criticized by Trump.
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