The criminal trial of former US President Donald Trump began with opening statements on Monday after Judge Juan Merchan swiftly selected a jury pool of 18 individuals, including 12 jurors and 6 alternates. Despite initial estimates that jury selection could extend into a second week, enough prospective jurors were found who were willing to serve without the need to call in a third panel. Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the judge’s pace, indicating that Merchan wanted to expedite the trial for his own reasons.
Five women and one man were added as alternates to the jury on Friday, including individuals with various backgrounds such as a fan of martial arts and a project manager for a construction company. All 18 jurors will meet for the first time on Monday when the trial commences. Prosecutors focused on preparing jurors to accept testimony from less-favorable witnesses, while Trump’s lawyers were concentrated on jury opinions about the former president.
The emotional atmosphere during the final day of jury selection was highlighted by two jurors expressing their inability to serve due to stress and anxiety. One juror who worked in sales began crying and stated she couldn’t handle the pressure, leading to her being excused by Judge Merchan. Another juror also felt high anxiety during questioning about witness credibility and asked to be excused. Trump’s legal team continued to seek to halt the trial with another strategic appeal, this time requesting a temporary stay until the venue of the trial could be moved out of Manhattan.
Despite Trump’s legal team’s attempts to delay the trial, opening statements were scheduled for Monday morning, followed by details about Trump’s alleged affair with an adult film star and hush-money payments made to her prior to the 2016 election. Prosecutors planned to present their case theory, countered by Trump’s defense arguments, and the first witness would be called. Additionally, a hearing was scheduled for Tuesday to address social media posts by Trump that allegedly violated a gag order, with prosecutors requesting fines and a reminder of potential consequences for further violations of the order.
