Seven jurors were selected for the panel that will decide former President Donald Trump’s guilt or innocence in the New York hush money case, a process that has been contentious. Trump’s lawyers carefully examined prospective jurors’ social media posts to identify any anti-Trump bias, prompting Judge Juan Merchan to sternly warn Trump about intimidating jurors. The courtroom was dark on Wednesday, but jury selection will resume with a new panel of 96 prospective jurors.
The seven jurors selected for the panel that will decide 34 counts of falsifying business records against Trump include four men and three women, with a jury foreperson appointed as the spokesperson. Five of the jurors have a college degree or higher education, and two are lawyers. All but one juror indicated awareness of Trump facing charges in other criminal cases, with none showing strong views on Trump or politics.
The attorneys utilized the voir dire process to remove jurors for cause, particularly targeting those with alleged anti-Trump social media posts. The attorneys were given the identities of the first panel of 96 prospective jurors in advance to prepare for challenges. Trump’s team used preemptory challenges to argue that many jurors’ social media posts contradicted their statements about Trump, resulting in some being struck from the panel.
Trump’s conduct in the courtroom drew a brief admonishment from Judge Merchan, who warned against any attempts to intimidate jurors. The judge expanded his gag order in the case to prevent Trump from speaking about witnesses and others involved in the trial, with potential sanctions for violating the order. Jury selection is expected to continue, with the hope of wrapping up the process this week to move forward with opening statements.
The court schedule remains flexible, but Merchan is aiming to complete jury selection this week. The jurors sworn in were instructed to potentially return for opening statements next Monday, although the schedule is subject to change. A new panel of 96 jurors will undergo the same process of questioning to determine impartiality and conflicts, with the goal of selecting a full jury of 12 jurors and six alternates out of the pool. Only seven jurors were selected from the first panel of 96, indicating challenges in forming a complete jury for the trial.
