Former President Donald Trump gestures as he returns to the courtroom during a break in his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday.
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Brendan McDermid/Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump gestures as he returns to the courtroom during a break in his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday.
Brendan McDermid/Getty Images
NEW YORK – Former President Donald Trump spent a week in jail in Manhattan Criminal Court. After four days A jury was chosen to decide his fate. This is the first criminal trial of a former president.
Twelve jurors and six alternates were finalized Friday. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin on Monday.
Trump faces 34 felony counts accusing him of falsifying New York business records to conceal damaging information to influence the 2016 presidential election. Trump declared the trial itself “candid election card” because it disrupted his 2024 presidential bid.
Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom earlier this week, Trump lamented that he could not stop campaigning in other states because New York law required his presence during the four-day criminal trial. a week.
“I should have gone to many different places to campaign. But I’ve been here all day in a trial, a very unfair trial indeed,” Mr. Trump said Thursday after the trial ended.
The Trump campaign has announced two upcoming rallies: one in North Carolina on Saturday and one in southern New Jersey on Saturday, May 11.
Nearly 300 prospective jurors went through the selection process. They were asked about their views on Trump, their social media history and their backgrounds.
Jurors came from all over Manhattan, including Harlem, Hell’s Kitchen, Murray Hill and the Upper West Side. They are litigators, teachers, physical therapists and investment bankers. Their hobbies include wood and metalworking, hiking, fishing, and exploring New York City.
The prospective jurors had differing views on the case and Trump himself — each opinion they shared in front of the former president.
“I think sometimes — similar to what one of the jurors said — sometimes the way he presents himself in public leaves something to be desired,” one prospective juror admitted. At the same time, I can relate to being a bit unfiltered.” “But at the same time, I see him talking to a lot of people in America and I think there’s something to be said for that.”
This jury was not selected.
“I don’t have a strong opinion, but I don’t like his personality,” said another prospective juror on the panel. How he presents himself to the public.” “He seems very selfish and selfish… I really don’t appreciate that from any public servant.”
But she goes on to make a personal comparison, noting that while she doesn’t like all of her coworkers, she doesn’t try to sabotage their work — so she believes she can be fair. fair and impartial.
Another prospective juror, who was not chosen, said he saw similarities between himself and Trump and was impressed by his rise as a businessman and politician. The man said that, like Trump, he started out as a businessman. “He’s our president. It’s amazing,” he said.
Finally, some choose themselves.
“I can’t do it,” one prospective juror mumbled as she left the courtroom on the first day.
Another prospective juror on Friday tearfully said she was nervous, stressed and realized she might not be able to move forward after initially saying she could be impartial.
The selected jurors’ knowledge of Trump’s 88 other federal and state charges ranged from unfamiliarity to knowing Trump faced other charges. Some people reported reading and watching major newspapers, cable networks, and social media, but two noted, “I don’t watch any news or follow it too closely” and that they “don’t really interested in the news.”
One juror selected said he had “mixed opinions” about Trump; another approved of the way Trump “speaks his mind.”
The selected jurors went to great lengths to demonstrate that they could separate their political and policy preferences from the legal facts that would be presented at trial.
One juror said he had “political views about the Trump presidency” and that he thought there might be Trump administration policies with which he disagreed.
However, he added, “I don’t know the man and I have no opinion about him personally.”
Judge Juan Mercan sought to ensure that the jury remained anonymous, citing safety concerns. Jurors are identified by number, no photos or recordings are allowed, and only attorneys have access to their names.
