In Donald Trump’s landmark criminal trial on Thursday, lawyers finalized the selection of 12 jurors tasked with determining his guilt or innocence in a case revolving around a hush-money payment to a porn star.
While attorneys for both the defense and the prosecution still need to pick alternate jurors for the trial, at least one alternate out of the required six had already been chosen by the time of this report. The sworn-in jurors will proceed with the trial, with the remaining alternates set to be selected on Friday.
Earlier in the day, the presiding judge, Justice Juan Merchan, dismissed a juror who expressed feeling intimidated after some personal information was inadvertently disclosed. Another juror was excused after prosecutors raised concerns about potential undisclosed legal issues.
Donald J Trump (Credits: Yahoo News Singapore)
The high-profile nature of Trump’s involvement in the case posed unique challenges during the jury selection process, which commenced on Monday. Approximately half of the initial 196 jurors screened in Democrat-leaning Manhattan were dismissed due to doubts about their ability to impartially assess the former president’s case.
Trump’s outspoken commentary on witnesses, prosecutors, and the judge, both in this case and others, raised concerns about potential harassment, prompting Justice Merchan to impose a partial gag order.
The dismissed juror who cited feeling intimidated expressed concerns about external influences affecting her ability to remain impartial in the courtroom.
Donald Trump (Credits: Sky News)
Meanwhile, Trump faces criminal cases in Washington, Georgia, and Florida, but the New York trial is the sole proceeding expected to go to trial this year. Officials involved in these cases have reported receiving death threats and harassment following Trump’s criticisms.
Trump has consistently pleaded not guilty in all four cases, alleging, without evidence, that they are part of a broader effort by allies of Democratic President Joe Biden to undermine his candidacy. A conviction in any of these cases would not preclude him from seeking or holding office.
