Twelve full jurors and six alternates were chosen by the Manhattan court for the criminal trial of the former Republican president, a first in the history of the United States.
Twelve jurors and six alternates were chosen by the Manhattan court on Friday in the historic trial of Donald Trump, the first former president of the United States to appear on trial, announced Judge Juan Merchan.
“We have the full jury,” the judge said on the fourth day of hearing, paving the way for the start of the proceedings. Donald Trump is being prosecuted for hidden payments to buy the silence of a former porn star, Stormy Daniels, a few days before the 2016 election which he won narrowly against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
This announcement came at the same time as a man attempted to set himself on fire in front of the Manhattan court where the former American president is being tried.
“Fake trial”
Working in finance, commerce, education or health, the jurors, whom the judge promised would remain anonymous, represent a snapshot of New York society.
One juror confided that the character of Donald Trump displeased her, another that he had done good things for America, but all assured that their feelings towards the 45th President of the United States would not interfere with their judgement.
The former President of the United States (2017-2021), candidate for his return to the White House, arrived at the Manhattan court on Friday morning for a fourth day of hearing, protesting once again against “a rigged trial” which prevents him from campaigning.
He also targeted the judge presiding over the proceedings, Juan Merchan, the “worst there is”, for forbidding him from attacking witnesses or jurors, an attack according to Donald Trump on “his constitutional right to express himself” freely.
Who will judge Donald Trump at his trial in the Stormy Daniels affair?
A trial which does not deprive him of the presidential election
More than three years after leaving the White House in chaos, Donald Trump theoretically faces a prison sentence. This would not prevent him from finding himself facing Democratic outgoing President Joe Biden in November, for a rematch of the 2020 election, but would project the campaign into the unknown.
If he were found not guilty, however, it would be a major success for the Republican candidate. Especially since he managed through appeals to postpone his three other criminal trials, two for illicit attempts to reverse the results of the 2020 election, and one for supposedly casual handling of classified documents.
In this case tried in New York, Donald Trump is charged with falsifying accounting documents from his company, the Trump Organization, which allegedly aimed to hide, under the cover of “legal fees”, the payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels by his personal lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen.
In exchange, the former X-rated movie star agreed to keep quiet about a sexual relationship with the billionaire in 2006. Donald Trump has always denied this relationship and his defense ensures that the payments were in the private sphere. But prosecutor Alvin Bragg intends to demonstrate that these are indeed fraudulent maneuvers to hide information from voters a few days before the vote.