Former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York City kicked off its first week with a heated exchange between the judge and the former president.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan ordered Trump to take a seat after he abruptly stood up, thinking the day was over. Trump complied but was visibly fuming as he watched the judge gather his paperwork and leave the courtroom. The judge later announced that a contempt hearing, which could result in punishment for Trump, would take place on Tuesday.
The Friday evening filing by Trump’s lawyers asked the state appellate court to halt the trial, citing “prejudicial pretrial publicity.” This complaint comes after a week of intense jury selection and questioning, in which many potential jurors were excused due to bias. Trump’s lawyers claimed that “the fair and impartial jury cannot be selected in New York county as evidenced by the extreme difficulty in procuring a venire resulting from the significant bias against President Trump that permeates the jury pool.”
After days of extensive questioning by attorneys for both sides, all 12 primary jurors and six alternates have been empaneled. The 12 primary jurors, seven men and five women, were finalized by Thursday. The foreperson is a salesman originally from Ireland and the other jurors include two attorneys, an investment banker, a security engineer, an English language teacher, a software engineer, a retired wealth manager, a speech therapist, a man working at an eyewear company, a product development manager, and a physical therapist.
The potential jurors were questioned by both prosecution and defense attorneys and were also required to answer 42 questions in the “most exhaustive questionnaire” ever used by the court. The questions covered topics such as job history, news outlets they follow, and whether they have attended a Trump rally or support fringe groups. Several potential jurors were excused after expressing concerns about their ability to be impartial, and others after being struck by either the defense or prosecution.
Former president Trump was indicted on 34 felony charges in Manhattan last March, his first of four criminal indictments since launching his 2024 presidential campaign. The charges stem from an alleged falsification of business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment to former adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Possible witnesses in the trial include former Trump associates, White House staffers, and even members of his family like his adult children and wife, Melania Trump. Trump has been critical of Manhattan Attorney General Alvin Bragg, who brought the charges against him, and Justice Juan Merchan, whom Trump has accused of prohibiting him from attending his youngest son’s high school graduation. Merchan’s decision on Trump’s request to skip the trial for the ceremony will be determined based on the progress of the trial.
Throughout the past year since his indictment, Trump has repeatedly bashed the case as a “witch hunt.” However, the judge has given Trump the opportunity to present his case and has not denied his request to skip trial for his son’s graduation. The trial will resume on Tuesday with a contempt hearing that could result in punishment for Trump if found guilty of repeatedly ignoring a gag order and publicly threatening witnesses and jurors.
While the names of the jurors have not been released, the potential witnesses and the high-profile nature of the case have drawn significant media attention. Trump will continue to face scrutiny as the trial continues and his fate is decided by the jury. Overall, the trial has been met with intense interest by the public and will continue to be closely watched as it progresses.
