Seven individuals have been selected to serve on the jury for the hush money trial involving former President Donald Trump in Manhattan. The court is currently on a break, with jury selection set to resume on Thursday until a panel of 12 New Yorkers and likely six alternates is finalized.
Prior to the seating of the jury members, a questionnaire phase took place where potential jurors were extensively interviewed by both the district attorney’s office and Trump’s legal team. During this process, Trump was observed flipping through the jury questionnaire while seated in court.
Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, raised objections to several potential jurors, citing concerns over their social media activity. Each side is allowed 10 peremptory strikes to remove jurors without providing a reason. As of now, both the prosecution and defense have utilized six preemptive strikes, leaving each side with four remaining.
Notable challenges included instances where Trump's team discovered social media posts from potential jurors expressing negative sentiments towards Trump. One juror was dismissed for cause due to posts advocating for Trump's removal and imprisonment. Another juror was struck for sharing anti-Trump content on social media.
Despite objections raised by Trump's team, some potential jurors were allowed to remain in the pool after the judge determined that their views on Trump did not compromise their ability to serve impartially.
The seated jurors come from diverse backgrounds, including an oncology nurse, a corporate lawyer, and an English teacher. The judge, Juan Merchan, issued a stern warning to Trump for his visible reactions towards a potential juror, emphasizing that juror intimidation would not be tolerated in the courtroom.
Looking ahead, a new group of 96 potential jurors was sworn in on Tuesday and will reconvene on Thursday for further selection proceedings.
