Former President Trump’s hush money case is underway with the selection of a 12-member jury on Thursday, April 18th. The court has begun selecting alternate jurors, and the entire process is expected to conclude by this weekend. The judge noted that the opening statements may take place on Monday.
The jury includes a professional salesperson, a software engineer, a security engineer, a teacher, a speech therapist, several lawyers, an investment banker, and a retired finance manager.
Earlier that day, Judge Juan Merchan dismissed a juror, a oncology nurse, who expressed fear as her family, friends, and colleagues speculated her involvement in the trial.
“I don’t believe I can be fair and impartial at this point, not knowing if external influences may affect my decisions in the courtroom,” the juror stated.
In response, the judge ordered the media not to disclose the jury member’s workplace.
Prosecutors revealed that another juror might have failed to disclose past illegal activities, leading the judge to revoke his juror status as well.
Trump’s high visibility and significant influence have posed unique challenges during the jury selection process. In Manhattan, where Democrats dominate, over half of the 196 initial jurors were dismissed for admitting bias in evaluating evidence fairly.
Trump faces criminal cases in Washington state, Georgia, and Florida, but the New York case is the only one slated for trial this year. This marks the first time in U.S. history that a former president faces a criminal trial, hindering Trump’s full engagement in the 2024 presidential election.
Throughout the selection process, Trump complained to reporters about being sidelined from the campaign trail to endure what he deemed an “unfair trial in court.”
“Everyone is angry about this,” Trump said. “You know the whole world is watching this scam in New York.”
In addition to confirming the 12 jurors, the court also selected one alternate juror with the judge’s aim to select a total of 6 alternates.
Jury selection is a crucial stage in any criminal trial, especially when the defendant is a former president and the presumed nominee of the Republican Party. Lawyers and judges will further scrutinize jurors’ social media posts, personal lives, and political beliefs to ensure no bias that could influence the verdict.
It is widely acknowledged in the courtroom that finding individuals entirely unfamiliar with Trump is improbable. A prosecutor this week mentioned that lawyers aren’t seeking those “who have been living under a rock for the past eight years.”
As a result, multiple selected jurors admitted to having personal opinions about Trump or his presidency.
A juror working in investment banking previously mentioned having “conflicting” views on Trump, stating, “I may not like some of his policies, but they have been beneficial for the country.”
The “hush money” case was first exposed in early 2018, involving Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paying $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump.
Although paying “hush money” is legal in New York, prosecutors argue that Trump’s company disguised the true nature of the payment when reimbursing expenses, constituting criminal activity.
Trump denies any sexual contact with Daniels, with his lawyers arguing that the payment to Cohen was a legitimate legal fee.
Trump faces 34 felony charges of falsifying business records. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison.
Furthermore, prosecutors have requested sanctions against Trump for a series of social media posts he made this week, allegedly in contempt of court.
The local prosecutor’s office requested a $3,000 fine for Trump on Monday for three posts he made on Truth Social, violating the judge’s gag order.
Subsequently, prosecutors claimed Trump made seven more posts that they believe violate the order.
Prosecutor Christopher Conroy stated that several posts involved an article referring to Trump’s former lawyer Cohen as a “serial perjurer.” A post on Wednesday reiterated a Fox News host’s claim that liberal activists lie to join juries.
Trump’s lawyer, Emil Bove, mentioned that Cohen “has been attacking President Trump in public statements,” with Trump merely responding.
The judge has scheduled a hearing next week to address the prosecutor’s requests.
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