The potential jurors for the first criminal trial of a former president in U.S. history will face a unique quiz during the selection process. More than 500 Manhattanites have been summoned to appear at the borough’s criminal court, where prosecutors and lawyers for Donald Trump will seek to select a jury that can set aside their opinions about the divisive former president. Trump is facing 34 felony counts related to falsification of business records, stemming from alleged efforts to conceal “hush money” payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The judge overseeing the case has instructed that the focus of the trial will be on whether the allegations are true or false, and whether Trump broke the law.
The allegations against Trump involve falsifying business records to conceal an agreement with others to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election. Specifically, it is alleged that Trump made false business records to hide payments made to Michael Cohen, which were intended to reimburse Cohen for money he paid to Stormy Daniels to prevent her from publicly revealing details about a past sexual encounter with Trump. Potential jurors will be presented with a questionnaire containing 42 questions, ranging from basic information to more pointed inquiries about their political beliefs and past actions related to Trump.
Prosecutors initially proposed questions that delved further into potential jurors’ politics, including asking about their beliefs regarding Trump’s false claim that he won the 2020 election. However, some of these questions were scrapped by the judge overseeing the case. Trump’s lawyers objected to a question asking potential jurors if they believed the 2020 election was stolen, and it was not included in the questionnaire made public. During the jury selection process, many potential jurors will undergo individualized questioning by both the defense and prosecution teams.
The trial of Trump will require potential jurors to set aside their personal opinions and biases about the former president in order to fairly evaluate the evidence presented in court. The judge overseeing the case has emphasized that the focus will be on the facts of the allegations and whether Trump violated the law, rather than political motivations or opinions. As the selection process unfolds, jurors will be scrutinized for any potential biases that could impact their ability to impartially evaluate the evidence presented during the trial.
The jury selection process for Trump’s trial is expected to be arduous and potentially last for days as both sides seek to identify jurors who can be fair and impartial. Questions in the questionnaire will cover a range of topics, from basic background information to more pointed inquiries about potential biases or political beliefs. The trial represents a historic moment in U.S. history, as a former president faces criminal charges in a court of law, and the selection of a fair and impartial jury will be crucial to ensuring a just outcome in the case.
