The first seven jurors in Donald Trump's New York hush money trial were seated Tuesday as Judge Juan Merchan said he expected opening arguments to start Monday morning.
Five additional jurors and one other six alternates still have to be chosen. But jury selection is moving faster than expected by many legal experts, who said it could take as much as two weeks.
The chosen ones – a salesman, an oncology nurse, a lawyer, an IT consultant, a teacher, a software engineer and a civil litigator – will sit in the primary criminal trial of a former US president.
After the trial was adjourned Tuesday night, Trump complained outside the courtroom that Merchan was “speeding up this process.”
The charges against Trump relate to an alleged plan to hide the character of a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. His lawyer on the time made the payment to stop Daniels from disclosing her alleged sexual tryst with Trump years ago.
Before the primary group of jurors were chosen Tuesday afternoon, Merchan warned Trump against intimidating jurors after he was heard talking to a prospective juror.
“I will not tolerate this,” the judge said after the potential juror left the courtroom. “I will not allow any jury to be intimidated in this courtroom. I want to say this loud and clear.”
Merchan told Trump's lawyers, “While the juror was approximately 12 feet away from your client, your client audibly said something in her direction.”
“He was gesticulating,” the judge said.
“Take a moment to talk to your client,” Merchan told the defense team.
Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, then whispered something to Trump, and the previous president made a gesture to indicate he understood what was being said.
Trump's comments to the juror were incomprehensible to NBC News reporters within the courtroom.
The judge said Trump was “mumbling.”
Merchan's warning got here after the potential juror was questioned a couple of social media post flagged by Trump's lawyer that claimed it showed her attending a celebration of the 2020 election results.
Asked in regards to the post, the juror said she recognized healthcare staff throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. She insisted that she was capable of be impartial.
Merchan said he believes she is credible and appears to be allowing her to stay within the jury selection process for now.
The potential juror, identified in court only by his number, was one in all 18 people questioned Tuesday by prosecutors and defense attorneys as a part of the jury selection process generally known as voir dire.
On Monday, greater than 50 potential jurors were immediately excused for alleged bias against Trump. That was greater than half of the primary group of 96 prospective jurors brought into the courtroom that day.
More potential jurors were dismissed Tuesday morning after saying they might not be fair in judging the previous president.
“I don’t think I can be as impartial and unbiased as I thought,” one prospective juror said before being excused. Eight more people were fired Tuesday morning, including several who said they might not be impartial toward Trump.
The firings underscored the challenge of prosecuting the polarizing Republican presidential candidate in New York City.
Still, the method gave the impression to be progressing faster than expected on Tuesday. And before court adjourned Tuesday afternoon, Merchan swore in one other jury of 96 potential jurors to proceed the trial. That group will return to court Thursday morning.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has accused Trump of attempting to influence the 2016 election by buying the silence of Daniels, who says she had a one-time sexual tryst with Trump in July 2006. Trump has denied having sex with Daniels 4 months after his wife Melania Trump gave birth to his youngest son, Barron Trump.
Shortly before entering the courtroom on Tuesday, Trump defended payments he made to Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer who helped coordinate the hush-money scheme. Bragg accuses Trump of reimbursing Cohen for monthly installments that were falsely described as legal fees in 2017.
“I paid a lawyer and reported it as legal costs. Some accountant I didn't know reported it as a legal expense, that's exactly what it was,” Trump said. “And you’re being prosecuted for this?”
Trump also railed against Merchan, calling him a “Trump-hating judge” who “mustn’t be involved on this case.”
His lawyers received cool responses from Merchan on Monday when they asked to adjust the trial schedule so Trump could attend to other personal and legal matters.
These events include a Supreme Court hearing on his request for presidential immunity in another criminal case and Barron's high school graduation.
While Merchan did not reject these requests outright, it did not immediately grant them either.
The process is expected to last around six weeks, with negotiations taking place four days a week.
Trump will have to be in court throughout the trial, potentially affecting his presidential campaign plans.
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