Key Points from the Last Day of Jury Selection in Trump's Landmark Hush Money Trial

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Judge Juan Merchan efficiently selected a jury pool of 18 members on Friday for the New York hush money case involving Donald Trump. By midday, he had sworn in 12 jurors and six alternates who will ultimately determine Trump's fate.

At the beginning of the week, there were concerns that jury selection might extend into a second week. This possibility seemed more likely when Judge Merchan lost two jurors on Thursday. However, he managed to find enough willing and impartial prospective jurors to avoid having to call upon a third panel of approximately 100 jurors on reserve for Friday.

Trump expressed his frustration with Merchan's pace as he exited the courtroom for the day. He mentioned that the trial was set to begin on Monday, much earlier than many had anticipated. Trump noted that the judge was aiming for a speedy trial, not necessarily for his benefit.

Here are takeaways from the final day of jury selection in Trump’s hush money trial:

The jury is set

Five new members were added to the jury last Friday as alternates for the case. They will sit in the jury box and listen to the trial, but will only join the main jury if one or more of the 12 jurors are excused.

The new jury members consist of a woman from Spain, a New Yorker who loves martial arts, a contract specialist, a woman employed by a clothing company, and a project manager for a construction company.

All 18 jurors will gather together for the first time on Monday morning as the trial is about to start. Out of the group, five jurors were selected from an initial panel of 96 sworn in on Monday, while the remaining jurors were chosen from a second panel that began their questioning on Thursday morning.

The fourth day of jury selection followed a similar pattern to the previous three days. Prosecutors concentrated on preparing the jurors to hear testimony from witnesses who may not be viewed favorably, such as Michael Cohen. On the other hand, Trump's attorneys were primarily interested in one question: What were the jurors' thoughts on Donald Trump?

The former president seemed less engaged during most of the questioning by the district attorney's office, often leaning back in his chair and shuffling through papers. However, when his lawyers started asking jurors for their opinions of him, he turned towards the jury box and listened intently.

The final round of questions for potential jurors emphasized the emotional aspect of their decision-making process.

During Friday morning's jury selection process, there were a few emotional moments. Two potential jurors expressed to the judge that they could no longer serve on the jury.

One of the prospective jurors, a woman who works in sales for a trading company, started crying when it was her turn to speak during the questioning.

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"I thought I could handle this, but I'm sorry, it's more stressful than I anticipated. I wouldn't want someone feeling this way to judge my case," she expressed. Merchan then invited her to have a private conversation at the bench before excusing her.

After the jury had left, another juror raised her hand and informed the court that she was experiencing "high anxiety" while listening to questioning about witness credibility.

Feeling overwhelmed with anxiety and self-doubt, the woman requested to approach the bench and was also excused.

Everyone in the jury pool had the opportunity to be excused right away if they felt they couldn't be fair and impartial in this case, without being questioned further by the judge.

The jurors who participated in voir dire on Friday had been informed that Trump was the defendant in the case since Tuesday, giving them a few days to consider what it would be like to serve on the historic panel before actually sitting in the jury box.

Excused jurors, along with one who was dismissed earlier due to privacy concerns, highlighted the immense pressure of trying a former president on the justice system. Trump is continuing his efforts to halt the trial.

Trump's legal team, despite seating a jury, made another attempt to halt the trial with a strategic appeal. This indicates that they will persist in putting up procedural obstacles in the criminal trial, even though it has already started.

In a new filing on Friday morning, Trump's legal team requested the appeals court to pause the trial temporarily while they consider Trump's appeal to change the trial location from Manhattan.

Attorney Cliff Robert represented Trump at a hearing on Friday afternoon, which was scheduled quickly.

Robert expressed his concern about the difficulty of seating a jury within three days due to many potential jurors being dismissed for bias.

Last week, Trump's request for a stay regarding the change of venue motion was denied.

The DA's team argued that the motion was premature because jury selection had not taken place yet. Robert explained on Friday that he had decided to renew Trump's request because a jury had been selected.

Robert also mentioned the woman who requested to be dismissed on Thursday due to media attention.

Trump's lawyer believes that the juror's concerns highlight the unfairness of holding the trial in the city because of the media attention on the former president.

On the other hand, Steven Wu, the Chief of Appeals at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, argued that the data indicates that the jury selection process has been effective.

There’s been a “robust process,” he said, to ensure jurors can be fair and root out potentially biased jurors.

A hearing on Trump’s gag order violations set for Tuesday

Opening statements in Trump's criminal trial are set to start on Monday morning, despite his efforts to delay the process. The trial will then delve into the specifics of Trump's alleged affair with an adult film star, which he denies, and the hush-money payment made to her before the 2016 election. Prosecutors will present their case theory, followed by Trump's attorneys outlining their arguments against the charges.

After that, the first witness will be called. Prosecutors have not revealed the identity of the witness yet, as they prefer to keep it a surprise to prevent any interference from Trump ahead of time.

On Tuesday, the focus will shift to Trump's discussion of witnesses in the case. Merchan is planning to conduct a hearing on social media posts made by the former president that prosecutors believe violated his gag order.

They’re asking the judge to fine Trump $1,000 per post and remind him that violations of the gag order could result in imprisonment.

Editor's P/S:

The upcoming criminal trial of former President Donald Trump marks a historic moment in American jurisprudence. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the jury selection process, highlighting the complexities and challenges involved in assembling an impartial jury to adjudicate the charges against Trump. The inclusion of five alternate jurors adds an extra layer of contingency to the proceedings, ensuring that the trial can proceed even if unforeseen circumstances arise.

The article also sheds light on Trump's legal strategy, which includes an attempt to halt the trial through a strategic appeal. The defense team's concerns about the fairness of holding the trial in Manhattan due to media attention raise important questions about the potential impact of pretrial publicity on the jury's deliberations. The court's decision on Trump's gag order violations will also be closely watched, as it could have implications for the former president's ability to comment on the case publicly. Overall, the article provides a valuable insight into the intricate legal landscape surrounding Trump's trial and the significant stakes involved for both the prosecution and the defense.