MANHATTAN, NEW YORK—On Thursday, April 18, the selection process of choosing twelve jurors to serve on the jury panel with Acting Justice of the New York Supreme Court Judge Juan M. Merchan presiding over the first and only criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump.
Twelve jurors and one alternate have been chosen from a pool of 200 New Yorkers. One juror has been replaced after admitting that she suffers from anxiety and may have difficulty being fair after her identity was leaked to the public. Judge Merchan indicated he’d like to have five alternates available during the trial.
With the multitude of investigations and accusations against a former sitting President, it becomes essential to know the purpose of this trial that could begin as early as Monday, April 22. Preliminary hearings are currently being held to note what will and will not be allowed in the trial.
Following the jury selection on Thursday, April 18, Donald Trump came out and briefly spoke to the press. He held up a stack, over an inch thick, of reports from different media outlets and relayed to his supporters that the news headlines reiterated the fact that no one sees a purpose for this criminal trial.
On March 30, 2023, Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg (D-NY) announced a grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump on criminal charges. The indictment was unsealed on April 4, revealing that the grand jury had voted to charge Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The trial was initially set to begin on April 15, 2024.
The media has dubbed this trial, “Trump’s hush money trial.” Prosecutors have somehow linked their case to a decades-old affair of Donald Trump. Prosecutors requested permission to include old information regarding a decades-old, alleged affair in a case that has previously been tried.
Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The twelve-member jury was selected on Thursday. Opening statements could take place on Monday if prosecutors and defense lawyers finish choosing six alternate jurors on Friday.
Trump also mentioned the gag order placed on him saying, “The gag order has to come off. People are allowed to speak about me, and I have a gag order.” As the presumptive Republican nominee in the upcoming Presidential election to be held on November 5, 2024, the trials have not held him back. If anything, Trump is gaining steam as his popularity rises in the polls.
The names of the potential jurors have not been disclosed to prevent a breach of confidentiality.
Juror number one is reportedly an outdoorsman from New York City. He has no children and gets his news from multiple news outlets including, but not limited to MSNBC, New York Times, Daily Mail, and Fox News.
Juror number two may be a shareholder and likes to follow the stock market. Reports indicate that the juror previously followed Trump and other conservatives on the X social media to help keep up with any possible movement in the stock market. The juror agreed not to continue to follow these individuals online during the trial.
Juror number three practices corporate law. He is an outdoorsman who is originally from Oregon but now resides in Manhattan.
Juror number four is a family man who works as a security engineer. He hails from California but has taken up residency in New York City for the past 15 years.
Juror number five is a native of New York and an English teacher. She is single, has no children, and holds a master’s degree in education. She previously worked as a case manager for a juvenile detention center and in administration for a police department.
Juror number six is a young woman who lives in Manhattan and likes to dance.
Juror number seven is an outdoorsman originally from North Carolina. He works as an attorney and civil litigator. He is a family man. His wife works in risk management at a bank. He gets his news from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post.
Juror number eight, originally from Lebanon has lived on the Upper East Side since 1980. He has his master’s in business administration. He is retired except for some consulting work. He previously worked in wealth management at a large firm.
Juror number nine is a single female who is originally from New Jersey. She lives in Manhattan and works as a speech therapist. She loves spending time outdoors, walking, and with friends. She does not watch the news but does have email subscriptions to CNN and the New York Times.
Juror number 10 lives in Manhattan but is originally from Ohio. He is an outdoorsman who loves animals. He is married with no children. He works in commerce.
Juror number 11 is a single female who is originally from California. She lives in upper Manhattan now.
Juror number 12 is an educated woman who is married to a coach of a professional sports team. They have no children. She lives on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and works as a speech therapist. She gets her news from CNN, USA Today and the New York Times.
