Jury selection could be nearing a close in Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York – NBC Chicago

A third panel of potential jurors will be questioned Friday in Donald Trump’s hush money case, bringing jury selection closer to the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president.

After a jury of 12 New Yorkers was seated Thursday, lawyers are now expected to focus on selecting the remaining alternates who can swear to set aside their personal opinions and impartially judge the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Thursday’s court proceedings demonstrated the unpredictability of the jury selection process in such a high-profile case, with two jurors who were sitting the day before being excluded from the jury.

The judge suggested opening statements in the criminal trial could begin as early as Monday, before prosecutors begin presenting their case alleging a scheme to cover up negative stories that Trump feared would harm his presidential campaign 2016.

The trial will put Trump in a Manhattan courtroom for weeks, forcing him to juggle his dual roles as a criminal defendant and political candidate in his hotly contested race against President Joe Biden. It will contain salacious and unflattering testimony that his opponent will no doubt seize on in an attempt to portray Trump as unfit to return as commander in chief.

Judge Juan M. Merchan is also expected to hold a hearing Friday to consider a request from prosecutors to bring up Trump’s past legal troubles if he takes the stand in the financial silence case. Manhattan prosecutors said they want to question Trump over his recent civil fraud trial that resulted in a $454 million judgment after a judge found Trump lied about his wealth for years. He is appealing this verdict.

Trump claims he did nothing wrong and has portrayed himself as the victim of a politically motivated justice system determined to keep him out of the White House. He lashed out on social media about the judge, prosecutors and potential witnesses, prompting prosecutors to seek sanctions for possible violations of the silence order in the criminal case.

After Thursday’s trial, Trump complained to reporters that he should have been campaigning but was instead in court for what he called a “very unfair trial.”

“Everyone is outraged,” he said. “You know the whole world is watching this scam in New York.”

The jury of Manhattanites includes a sales professional, a software engineer, a security engineer, an English teacher, a speech therapist, several lawyers, an investment banker and a retired wealth manager.

The lawsuit centers on a $130,000 payment that Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and personal arranger, made to porn actor Stormy Daniels to prevent her allegations of a sexual relationship with Trump from being made public in the final days of the 2016 race.

Prosecutors say Trump obscured the true nature of the payments in internal records when his company reimbursed Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2018 and is expected to be a star witness for the prosecution.

Trump has denied having a sexual relationship with Daniels and his lawyers argue that the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal fees.

Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records. He could face up to four years in prison if convicted, although it is unclear whether the judge would choose to put him behind bars. Trump would almost certainly appeal any conviction.

Trump faces four criminal cases, but it is not clear whether more will be tried before the November election. The appeals and legal wrangling have led to delays in the three other cases accusing Trump of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election and illegally accumulating classified documents.

What you need to know about Trump’s secret money affair

Former President Donald Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to secret payments to adult actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Here’s what you need to know.

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Richer reported from Washington.