Insights from the pivotal day when a jury was chosen to determine the outcome of Donald Trump's hush money trial

Jury selection for Donald Trump's hush money business fraud case started on Thursday, but it seemed like finding 12 jurors was proving to be a challenge.

Out of the seven jurors selected on Tuesday, two had to be excused. Judge Juan Merchan's plan to start the trial with opening arguments on Monday was starting to look unlikely.

At the end of the day, the jury for the first criminal trial of a former US president had been chosen. On Friday, only five alternates remain to be picked.

It's evident that the trial will not be smooth sailing. The Manhattan district attorney's office has stated that they will not disclose the identity of their initial witnesses to the defense in order to prevent Trump from sharing about them on social media.

A hearing over what prosecutors can say about Trump’s legal history is also likely on Friday.

Here are the takeaways from Thursday’s topsy turvy jury selection in Trump’s criminal trial:

From drama to solved: ‘We have a jury’

Once Trump’s attorneys and the district attorney’s office used up their 10 peremptory strikes to remove jurors, things moved quickly.

The judge dismissed Trump's objections to disqualify jurors who had shown bias against him, explaining to his lawyers that simply disliking Trump's personality wasn't sufficient.

The jury panel consists of seven men and five women. The newly selected jurors, who were sworn in on Thursday, come from various backgrounds such as investment banking, security engineering, wealth management, speech therapy, and physical therapy.

The jury pool was reduced from a second panel of 96 on Thursday morning. Nearly 50 potential jurors felt they could not be fair and impartial, while nine others had conflicting schedules.

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Hear what Trump said minutes after jury was seated in hush money trial

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Compared to Tuesday, fewer jurors changed their minds after reading the questionnaire in the courtroom on Thursday. Only one out of the initial 18 jurors was dismissed during this process. (There was no court session on Wednesday.)

One possible reason could be that the second group of jurors had advance knowledge that Trump was the defendant on Tuesday. This allowed them time to consider serving on the panel. In contrast, the first group of 96 jurors had to make a decision about their impartiality shortly after entering the courtroom and seeing Trump as the defendant, along with hearing the judge's explanation of the case and the jury's responsibilities.

It was reported that at least a few jurors on Trump's panel admitted they were not supporters.

Trump’s legal team used up all their chances to remove jurors who had negative views about him and his politics. One of the jurors who will help decide Trump’s fate described him as selfish and only interested in serving himself.

Juror 11 was chosen to be on the jury even though Trump's lawyers tried to have her removed because she admitted she doesn't like Trump's personality. She explained, "I don't like his persona. I don't like some of my coworkers, but I don't try to sabotage their work."

"I find him to be quite selfish and self-serving, which is not a quality I admire in any public servant. I don't really know him as a person, so I can't speak to his integrity. It's just not something I appreciate."

Merchan explained that while she may not like Trump's persona, she believed she could still remain fair and impartial in denying his challenge.

On Thursday afternoon, jurors were more willing to share their thoughts on Trump. Some mentioned they are not fans of his politics or certain actions in public, but they believe they can set those aside to serve as fair and unbiased jurors.

Former President Donald Trump was pictured sitting in court between his lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove. The scene took place during jury selection at Manhattan criminal court on Thursday, April 18 in New York. Judge Juan Merchan was seen starting the proceedings in the sketch captured by Christine Cornell for CNN.

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One juror mentioned that she disagrees with some of Trump's politics. During his presidency, negative opinions about Trump were discussed frequently among her friends and family.

When Trump's attorney, Susan Necheles, asked if she would be influenced by others to convict Trump, the juror replied, "Not at all." She made it clear that she would avoid discussing the case with anyone.

One of the jurors follows Trump on social media and has even read quotes from his book, the “Art of the Deal.” He is an investment banker with a master’s degree. During voir dire, he mentioned that he follows Michael Cohen on Twitter and has been following Trump since he became president. He explained that he does this to stay informed about news items, especially when Trump tweets something out.

Trump’s lawyers were able to convince Merchan to dismiss a woman who had made negative comments about Trump on social media. They also used their remaining strikes to remove another woman who had stayed at Necheles’ house. Merchan did not allow a challenge to remove this panelist.

There were some issues with the jury selection process, and more challenges may arise in the future.

Thursday's court session showed the unpredictability of a jury in a high-profile trial, especially when it involves a former president. The day started with one of the seven jurors who had been selected on Tuesday asking to be dismissed from the jury.

Juror No. 2, an oncology nurse from New York, expressed concerns about her identity being made public. She mentioned that friends, colleagues, and family had informed her that she had been identified as a potential juror.

Merchan was excused without any objections. Following this, the judge instructed the media to refrain from mentioning any physical attributes that could potentially identify the jurors. He expressed concern over reports indicating that a selected juror had an Irish accent.

Merchan lamented, "We just lost a potentially good juror for the case."

He advised the media to avoid mentioning two specific questions from the juror questionnaire: information about their current and past employers.

Another juror, who had already been chosen, was later dismissed when prosecutors discovered that he had a past arrest in the 1990s for vandalizing political advertisements.

Trump's attorney Todd Blanche requested the district attorney's office to disclose the first three witnesses they intend to call. He mentioned that the trial could start as early as Monday with opening statements and the first witness testimony. The DA's office declined to provide this information to Trump.

The district attorney’s office declined to provide the witness information to Trump. Assistant District Attorney Josh Steinglass mentioned that they usually share this information as a courtesy. However, due to Trump's social media posts about their witnesses, he stated, “We’re not telling him who the witnesses are.”

Merchan stated that he understood the prosecutors' decision. Trump shook his head visibly in response to the conversation.

Blanche suggested to reassure the district attorney's office that Trump wouldn't mention the witnesses if they disclosed their witness list.

Merchan disagreed, saying, "I don't believe you can promise that."

Blanche kept objecting, but Merchan refused to demand their witnesses to be revealed. He mentioned that it wasn't necessary.

This approach by the district attorney's office implies that Trump's team will not know in advance about upcoming witnesses. Additionally, the DA's office may decide to keep the identities of witnesses confidential from the public, leading to potential surprises with new witnesses showing up unexpectedly.

We are scheduled to begin opening arguments on Monday. On Friday, there are still 22 prospective jurors from the second panel who have not completed the questionnaire process. Merchan will start with them in order to select five more alternate jurors, although the judge mentioned that this number could be adjusted.

Trump's lawyers and the district attorney's office will receive extra peremptory challenges for the alternate jurors. Surprisingly, neither side decided to use a challenge for the first alternate juror selected on Thursday.

If the jury selection process concludes swiftly on Friday, Merchan mentioned that a Sandoval hearing will be held in the afternoon. During this hearing, they will talk about Trump's legal history and determine what can be used to challenge his credibility if he decides to testify.

Prosecutors plan to question the former president regarding the recent legal decisions made against him, such as the civil fraud trial and the E. Jean Carroll defamation case.

If there are not enough alternate jurors selected from the initial pool of 22, Judge Merchan has prepared a backup panel of 96 jurors. These jurors were sworn in on Thursday and instructed to return on Friday. This larger group is likely to be the final pool from which the Trump hush money trial jury will be selected.

On Thursday, the downtown Manhattan courtroom felt very cold. Trump mentioned it to reporters as he was leaving, and his attorney even requested for the temperature to be increased. Merchan also acknowledged the temperature in the courtroom, which may have affected the prospective jurors who were arriving for the case.

"I'm sorry that it's cold in here," Merchan expressed. "We're trying our best to regulate the temperature, but it seems to be either too hot or too cold."

Editor's P/S:

The jury selection process in the hush money business fraud case against former President Donald Trump has been both contentious and unpredictable, highlighting the complexities of such high-profile trials. Despite challenges in finding impartial jurors, the panel has now been chosen, with only alternate jurors remaining to be selected. However, the issue of Trump's social media presence and its potential influence on witnesses has raised concerns and led to the district attorney's office withholding the identity of their initial witnesses. This decision adds an element of uncertainty to the trial's progression, indicating a potentially tumultuous road ahead.

The article also highlights the importance of juror anonymity, especially in cases involving prominent figures like Trump. The concerns raised about the identification of a juror with an Irish accent demonstrate the potential for undue influence on the jury process. By restricting the release of personal information about jurors, the court aims to protect their privacy and ensure the integrity of the trial. The case serves as a reminder of the challenges and complexities inherent in high-profile legal proceedings and the need for a fair and impartial jury system to uphold justice.