Update on Trump Trial: Jury Selection Resumes Tomorrow

Jury selection in the first ever criminal trial of a former US president has moved briskly, with the judge suggesting opening statements could begin Monday.

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After just a day and a half of jury selection, seven people from Manhattan were chosen to serve as jurors in the New York case against former President Donald Trump. On Thursday, attorneys will continue selecting jurors from a pool of nearly 100 individuals. They will question them until a total of 12 jurors and up to six alternates are seated.

Seven jurors have been chosen for the case, including four men and three women. Among them are two attorneys, an oncology nurse, a software engineer, a schoolteacher who appreciates Trump's candid nature, and a grandfather who finds Trump intriguing. The foreman, who is from Ireland, works in sales.

Trump is facing 34 charges related to falsifying business records to hide payments made to bury allegations of an affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Despite denying the affair, Trump has pleaded not guilty to the accusations.

It is now evident what approach each side is taking when selecting jurors.

Prosecutors have been questioning potential jurors on their ability to comply with the judge's instructions and their willingness to disregard any preconceived biases they may hold towards certain witnesses with controversial backgrounds, such as a tabloid publisher, an adult film star, and a former lawyer (Michael Cohen) who has admitted guilt.

They also asked jurors if they would be able to distinguish between believability and likability when evaluating their testimony.

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan criminal court with his legal team ahead of the start of jury selection in New York on Monday, April 15.

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan criminal court with his legal team ahead of the start of jury selection in New York on Monday, April 15.

Jabin Botsford/Pool/Reuters

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Trump's attorneys made an effort to understand the jurors' opinions about the former president and whether they could put that aside. They delved into social media history and found posts, some years old and others recent, leading to the dismissal of two potential jurors.

During the roughly 10 hours of court session earlier this week, Trump was seen closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair. He would occasionally tap his attorney Todd Blanche on the shoulder to whisper or pass a note. At one point, they shared a smile. As the attorneys questioned jurors in the jury box, Trump turned his chair to face them, even making eye contact with at least one juror who entered the courtroom, as reported by a dismissed potential juror.

In all, seven jurors were selected from a batch of 96, more than half of whom said they couldn’t be fair or impartial.

Jury selection process

Thursday morning, a fresh group of 96 jurors, who have already taken an oath, will come back to the courtroom. The judge will then ask two important questions: if any juror feels they cannot be fair or impartial, and if they are unable to serve on the trial for any other reason. The trial is anticipated to go on for a minimum of six weeks.

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The jurors selected for Donald Trump's criminal trial will first answer 42 questions on a questionnaire. Each side, the prosecutors and Trump's lawyers, will have 30 minutes to ask the initial 18 jurors more detailed questions. After this, they will proceed with strikes.

Both sides were given 10 peremptory strikes to excuse jurors. Trump and prosecutors used six on Tuesday, leaving them each with four strikes left.

The next morning, Trump took to social media to express his frustration with the process, mistakenly believing he had an unlimited number of strikes.

The number of strikes each party has in the trial is determined by law. Judge Juan Merchan informed the parties of the number of strikes during a pre-trial conference earlier this year, which Trump attended.

During the trial on Tuesday, Trump tested the limits of Judge Merchan. The judge raised his voice in an uncharacteristic manner when he noticed that the former president was muttering and gesturing towards a juror who was being questioned.

The judge interrupted the proceeding to address the issue. He then turned to Trump's attorney and firmly stated, "I will not tolerate any intimidation of jurors in this courtroom. It's important for everyone to understand that."

Editor's P/S:

The jury selection process in Donald Trump's criminal trial has been swift and efficient, with seven jurors already chosen in just a day and a half. The process has revealed the strategies of both the prosecution and defense, with prosecutors focusing on ensuring jurors can disregard biases and evaluate testimony objectively, while Trump's attorneys have sought to understand jurors' opinions about the former president. The trial is expected to begin with opening statements on Monday, and the selection of additional jurors will continue on Thursday.

It is important to note that the jury selection process is a crucial step in any trial, as it ensures that the jurors are impartial and can render a fair verdict based on the evidence presented. The judge's role in maintaining order and preventing any intimidation of jurors is also essential to ensure a fair trial. The trial is expected to be lengthy and highly publicized, and the jury's impartiality will be essential to reaching a just outcome.