12 jurors picked for Donald Trump's hush money trial, selection of alternates ongoing

NEW DELHI: A jury of 12 people was seated Thursday in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York, and the court quickly turned to selecting alternate jurors. The rapid progress Thursday afternoon propelled the case closer to opening statements and weeks of testimony in a case charging the Republican ex-president with falsifying business records to suppress stories about his sex life in the final days of the 2016 election.
NEW DELHI: Former President Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York saw the seating of a jury of 12 people on Thursday.Following this, the court swiftly moved to select alternate jurors. The quick progress signifies the case's advancement towards opening statements and an extended period of testimony. The trial charges the Republican ex-president with falsifying business records to hide stories about his sex life in the closing days of the 2016 election.
The jury consists of a sales professional, a software engineer, an English teacher, and several lawyers. The case revolves around $130,000 that Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid to porn actor Stormy Daniels. Trump is up against 34 felony counts and maintains his innocence.
Earlier today, two jurors were dismissed. One expressed doubts about being fair after details about her identity were disclosed. Another juror was let go due to concerns that some of his courtroom answers may have been inaccurate.
Meanwhile, prosecutors requested Trump be held in contempt due to recent social media posts. Additionally, the judge prohibited reporters from revealing jurors' employers for privacy reasons.
The jury selection process gained momentum Tuesday with seven jurors chosen. However, on Thursday, Judge Juan Merchan disclosed in court that one of them, a cancer nurse, expressed concerns about her ability to be fair and impartial after reflecting on it overnight. While jurors' names remain confidential, the woman informed the judge and lawyers about her doubts after parts of her identity were publicized.
"Yesterday alone I had friends, colleagues and family push things to my phone regarding questioning my identity as a juror," she said. "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."
Another juror was dismissed after prosecutors raised concerns about his honesty regarding a jury selection question. The IT professional was called to court for questioning when prosecutors discovered an article about someone with the same name who had been arrested in the 1990s for removing political posters related to the political right in suburban Westchester County.
Additionally, a prosecutor mentioned that a relative of the juror might have been part of a deferred prosecution agreement in the 1990s with the Manhattan district attorney's office, which is handling Trump's case.
The juror was questioned by the judge on Thursday at the bench, away from reporters and off-microphone. It remains unknown whether the man admitted or denied any connection to the instances mentioned.
To proceed with the trial, twelve jurors and six alternates need to be selected. Judge Merchan stated on Tuesday that opening statements could potentially start by Monday.
Selecting a jury is crucial, especially in a trial involving a former president and a presumptive Republican nominee. Prospective jurors are extensively questioned about their social media activity, personal lives, and political beliefs to ensure impartiality.
In the courtroom, there's a general understanding that it's unrealistic to find jurors unaware of Trump. A prosecutor this week noted that they weren't seeking individuals who had been "living under a rock for the past eight years."
Thursday's events highlighted the difficulties of selecting a jury for such a significant and highly publicized case. Over half of the 96 prospective jurors brought into the courtroom were dismissed, with many expressing doubts about their ability to remain fair and impartial.
Following the dismissal of the selected nurse from the jury, Judge Merchan instructed journalists present not to report on the answers given by prospective jurors regarding their current and former employers.
"We just lost, probably, what probably would have been a very good juror for this case, and the first thing that she said was she was afraid and intimidated by the press, all the press, and everything that had happened," Merchan said after dismissing the juror.
Prosecutors requested the removal of employer inquiries from the jury questionnaire. Defense attorney Todd Blanche argued against this, stating that withholding information due to media actions wasn't the solution.
The district attorney's office sought a $3,000 fine for Trump on Monday for three Truth Social posts that allegedly breached the order. Prosecutors later claimed Trump made seven additional posts that they believe also violated the order.
Some of the posts referenced an article calling former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen a "serial perjurer," while one from Wednesday repeated a claim by a Fox News host alleging that liberal activists were dishonestly trying to join the jury, according to prosecutor Christopher Conroy.
Trump lawyer Emil Bove said Cohen "has been attacking President Trump in public statements," and Trump was just replying.
The judge had already set a hearing for next week to address the prosecution's request for contempt sanctions regarding Trump's posts.
The trial revolves around a $130,000 payment Cohen made just before the 2016 election to porn actor Stormy Daniels to prevent her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump from going public in the final days of the race.
Prosecutors allege that Trump concealed the true nature of the payments in internal records when his company reimbursed Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2018 and is expected to be a key witness for the prosecution.
Trump denies the sexual encounter with Daniels, and his legal team argues that the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses.
Facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, Trump could potentially receive up to four years in prison if found guilty, though it's uncertain whether the judge would opt for imprisonment. Trump would likely appeal any conviction.
The hush money case is one of four criminal prosecutions involving Trump as he seeks to return to the White House. However, it's possible that this case will be the only one to go to trial before the presidential election in November.
Legal processes, including appeals, have caused delays in cases accusing Trump of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results and unlawfully withholding classified documents.