On Friday, legal teams continued their efforts to complete the panel of 12 jurors and six alternates who will preside over Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan, while the former president criticized a gag order that has led prosecutors to consider holding him in contempt of court.
Following the selection of a jury of 12 New Yorkers on Thursday, attention shifted to choosing alternates who could pledge to impartially assess the case against the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, setting aside personal biases.
The jury selection process for such a high-profile case showcased its unpredictability on Thursday, with two jurors previously seated being dismissed from the panel.
The presiding judge suggested that opening statements might commence as early as Monday in the trial, which alleges a scheme to conceal negative stories that Trump feared would impact his 2016 presidential campaign.
The trial will see Trump in a Manhattan courtroom for weeks, navigating his roles as both a criminal defendant and a political candidate in his contest against President Joe Biden.
Upon arriving at the courthouse on Friday, Trump voiced grievances about the gag order imposed by the judge, restricting his public commentary about witnesses. Trump’s social media posts criticizing the judge, prosecutors, and potential witnesses prompted district attorneys to seek sanctions for potential violations of the gag order. A hearing on prosecutors’ request to hold Trump in contempt is scheduled for next week.
“The gag order has to come off. People are allowed to speak about me, and I have a gag order,” Trump asserted.
As a new group of potential jurors entered the courtroom, one woman who expressed doubts about her ability to be impartial was excused.
Judge Juan M. Merchan is anticipated to preside over a hearing on Friday to review prosecutors’ request to introduce Trump’s previous legal troubles if he testifies. Manhattan prosecutors seek to question Trump about his recent civil fraud trial, resulting in a $454 million judgment after a judge determined Trump had misrepresented his wealth over the years. Trump is appealing the verdict, maintaining his innocence and alleging political bias within the justice system aimed at thwarting his presidential ambitions.
The jury, comprised of New Yorkers, includes professionals from various backgrounds, including sales, software engineering, security, education, and finance.
The trial revolves around a $130,000 payment made by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and personal fixer, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to prevent her allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump from surfacing during the final stages of the 2016 campaign.
Prosecutors assert that Trump obscured the true nature of the payments in internal records when his company reimbursed Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2018 and is expected to be a key prosecution witness.
Trump denies any sexual encounter with Daniels, with his legal team arguing that the payments to Cohen constituted legitimate legal expenses.
Facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, Trump could potentially face up to four years in prison if convicted, although the judge’s sentencing decision remains uncertain. It is likely that Trump would appeal any conviction.
