Lawyers in former U.S. President Donald Trump's historic criminal trial have selected twelve jurors who will assess his guilt or innocence over the coming weeks in a case stemming from a hush-money payment to a porn star.

Manhattan

Twelve jurors have been selected for the trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump, relating to a case about a hush-money payment made to a porn star. This process marks a significant step in what is considered a historic criminal trial assessing Trump's involvement in the concealment of payments.

The selection of jurors faced initial challenges, with concerns over their impartiality leading to the dismissal of more than half of the initial 96 potential jurors. The concerns continued throughout the selection process, with two jurors dismissed for fears of bias, one of whom cited concerns about her identity being publicized. The final jury comprises seven men and five women, alongside one alternate, with the aim of selecting five more.

The trial is presided over by Judge Merchant, who anticipates that opening statements will be made at the start of next week. However, there are expert opinions suggesting that the selection of the jury may still pose issues, highlighting the unpredictable nature of jury selection and participation leading up to the trial’s commencement.

Additionally, the court heard allegations of Trump being in contempt over his conduct on social media, criticizing the trial and expressing his discomfort with the conditions within the courtroom. Trump's commentary extended to his depiction of the trial as a "hoax," expressing his dissatisfaction publicly after leaving the courtroom.

At the heart of the trial are accusations against Trump for allegedly falsifying business records to hide payments made to Stormy Daniels to ensure her silence over claims of an affair with him. The outcome of the trial holds significant implications for Trump, including a potential four-year prison term and impacts on his prospective 2024 presidential bid.



Twelve jurors selected to serve in Trump hush-money trial

A step forward in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial as a full jury is picked. Their selection follows what was a slow start after more than half of the first cohort of 96 potential jurors were excused on Monday over fears about impartiality. Those worries persisted on Thursday when two jurors were dismissed, one after expressing doubt about her ability to be fair because parts of her identity were allegedly made public. By the end of day four, a dozen jurors, seven men and five women were seated, with one alternate picked so far. Five more are needed. Judge Merchant, who is hearing the case, says he expects opening statements to be presented Monday, but experts argue jury selection could still be an issue. The actual trial to get underway on Monday, they would have to finalise the jury today. Even if they pick a jury today, who knows what's going to happen over the weekend as some jurors get second thoughts about participating. Thursday also saw prosecutors accuse Trump of being in contempt of court over his social media posts and for repeatedly calling the trial ridiculous, a sentiment he shared once again as he left the New York courtroom. It's a shame. And I'm sitting here for days now, from morning till night, in that freezing room, freezing. Everybody was freezing in there. And it's a very bad thing. Very bad thing. Very bad thing. Very bad thing. The whole world is watching this hoax. Trump is accused of falsifying business records in order to cover up payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels in return for her silence over an alleged affair with the former president. If convicted, he could get four years in prison, threatening the presumptive Republican nominee's 2024 presidential bid.

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