Alternate jurors and key legal arguments on tap in Trump hush money trial
Jury selection is continuing — and could conclude — Friday in former President Donald Trump's historic New York criminal trial.
Jury selection is continuing — and could conclude — Friday in former President Donald Trump's historic New York criminal trial.
With a full 12-person jury and one alternate juror sworn in Thursday, Judge Juan Merchan has called a pool of 96 potential jurors to his Manhattan courtroom in hope of finding five more alternate jurors for the first trial of a former president, which is expected to last roughly six weeks.
The morning began with the judge calling up the 22 remaining potential jurors from the previous pool to answer questions designed to indicate whether they can be fair and impartial when it comes to the polarizing former commander-in-chief and presumptive Republican nominee for president.
Former President Donald Trump waves as he returns to the courtroom with attorney Todd Blanche, from left, during a recess in his criminal trial as jury selection continues at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on April 18, 2024.Brendan McDermid / Pool via Getty ImagesThe first of those potential jurors was dismissed after she said she didn't think she could be fair. “I have really, really bad anxiety and people have found out where I am," she told the judge. A short time later, two other potential jurors were dismissed after each told the judge that upon further reflection, "I don’t think I can be impartial."
Trump appears most interested in jurors whose answers offer ambiguity around their personal political views. When one prospective juror said they were a Fox News viewer, Trump cocked his head, then quickly conferred with his lawyer, Todd Blanche.
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