Trump told to pull his head in
NEW YORK: A judge has accused Donald Trump of intimidating a prospective juror at his trial after the former president was heard muttering to a woman who was said to have celebrated his election defeat on social media.
Judge Juan Merchan said Mr Trump was “audibly uttering something” to a woman as she was questioned about posts on her Facebook account.
The woman had said she did not have any bias against Mr Trump and could serve impartially in the case. But Susan Necheles, one of Mr Trump’s lawyers, said the woman had attended an anti-Trump event.
The judge demanded one of Mr Trump’s attorneys reprimand him. “I won’t tolerate that,” Justice Merchan said. “I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom.”
Mr Trump, who then received a talking-to from his lawyer, appeared furious.
The angry exchanges came as the first six jurors were selected to serve at Mr Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan.
Mr Trump, 77, is accused of concealing $US130,000 in payments to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to keep quiet about an affair she claimed they had.
The court must find 12 jurors and six alternates from 500 people called as candidates from Manhattan.
Many have been dismissed after saying they did not think they could be impartial.
Mr Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche told candidates to say exactly what they thought of the former president. “There are no wrong answers, and I mean that,” he declared, as Mr Trump turned in his seat to look at them.
One woman said she had been wrestling ceaselessly with the question of whether she could be impartial. “I didn’t sleep last night thinking … could I really do this?” she said.
Another told the court that he had read several of Mr Trump’s books, while another said they were “a big fan of The Apprentice”.
The London Times