Judge rebukes Trump for his muttering as juror quizzed
Jury selection is under way
Donald Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors yesterday began challenging prospective jurors who may serve on his hush money criminal trial, and the judge rebuked the former US president for speaking while one potential juror was being questioned.
Jury selection for the trial got underway on Monday. He faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election. Ms Daniels says she had a sexual encounter with Mr Trump about a decade beforehand.
Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies an encounter took place. The Republican presidential candidate has called the case, brought by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a partisan witch hunt meant to interfere with his campaign to unseat president Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the November 5 election.
After lawyers for both sides interviewed 18 prospective jurors who remained of an initial pool of 96, Justice Juan Merchan called in one potential juror for further questioning about a video she posted on Facebook of people celebrating around the time of the 2020 election.
Once the juror left the room, Judge Merchan said Mr Trump was audibly muttering and gesturing while the prospective juror was speaking. The judge told Mr Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche to speak to him about his behaviour.
“I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom,” Judge Merchan said.
The judge declined a defence request to dismiss the jury candidate for bias, after she said she could be fair.
The prospective juror said she had filmed the video after going out to move her car and noticing people dancing in the streets and honking their horns, which she said reminded her of public applause for healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In questioning jurors earlier yesterday, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass said the case was not a referendum on Mr Trump’s presidency. “This case is really not about whether you like Donald Trump,” he said. “This case is about the rule of law and whether Donald Trump broke it.”
The proceedings so far have underscored the challenges of choosing a jury of 12 residents of heavily Democratic Manhattan who can try the case fairly and impartially.
Roughly half of 96 potential jurors summoned on Monday were dismissed after saying they could not impartially judge the polarising businessman-turned-politician. Those who remained largely said they could put any opinions they have aside and be fair to both sides.
“I don’t think it matters what my political beliefs are, or in relation to the defendant,” said one woman, a high school teacher who lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
The hush money case is one of four criminal indictments Mr Trump faces, which stem from alleged mishandling classified information and trying to overturn his 2020 loss to Mr Biden. He has pleaded not guilty in those cases, which may not go to trial before the election.