NEW YORK: After questioning by both sides, the judge in Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial has cautioned the Republican presidential candidate not to intimidate the jury. Seven jurors were selected surprisingly quickly.
In such a prominent and delicate case as the first criminal prosecution of a former US president who is also seeking reelection to the White House in November, there had been conjecture that jury selection might take weeks.
However, Tuesday’s hearing was adjourned by Judge Juan Merchan, who expressed optimism that opening arguments might start as early as Monday of the following week.
Following an initial stage of the Trump trial where potential jurors could choose not to serve if they were incapable of being unbiased or had exceptional circumstances, the prosecution and defense teams questioned the candidates in-depth.
In the landmark criminal hush money trial, seven panelists were chosen.
There will be six alternates selected in addition to the twelve jurors who are required.
The jury’s decision must be unanimous in order for Trump to be found guilty of his alleged deception in an attempt to conceal an embarrassing adulterous meeting with a porn star. He would be free if there was just one dissident voice.
At one point, Merchan warned Trump that one juror who was under fire for his social media remarks could hear him muttering. “In this courtroom, I will not allow any jurors to feel intimidated,” Merchan declared.
Merchan has mandated that the 77-year-old Trump appear in court every day, which has severely disrupted his campaign schedule.
Trump angrily declared outside the court, “I should be campaigning right now in Pennsylvania and Florida — in many other states, North Carolina, Georgia.” “Trump-hating” was how he described Merchan.
At the same time, President Joe Biden visited Scranton, Pennsylvania, the site of his birth and a crucial swing state that he almost missed in the 2020 election, to promote his economic initiatives.
Merchan has cautioned Trump against trying to replicate his repeated attempts in the past to use hearings as spontaneous platform for campaigning, launching angry outbursts at staff members and witnesses as well as diatribes on social media.
A hearing to determine whether to hold Trump in contempt for breaking a partial gag order that prevented him from disparaging anyone involved in the lawsuit has already been scheduled by the judge for next week.
