On April 16, 2024, former US President Donald Trump attended the second day of his trial for allegedly covering up hush payments related to an extramarital affair at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City.
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More potential jurors were dismissed from Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial in New York on Tuesday because they were unable to fairly judge the former president.
“I don’t think I can be as impartial or as unbiased as I want to be,” one prospective juror said before being dismissed on the second day of jury selection at Manhattan Supreme Court.
Eight more people were fired Tuesday morning, many of whom said they were unable to remain impartial to Trump.
The firing underscores the challenges of prosecuting the polarizing Republican presidential candidate in New York City.
More than 50 prospective jurors were summarily dismissed on Monday over claims of bias against Trump. That was more than half of the first 96 prospective jurors brought into the courtroom that day.
Despite dismissals on Tuesday, the jury pool was packed with 18 potential jurors as of 11:35 a.m. ET, who had completed 42 questions without being excused.
On April 16, 2024, in the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, the United States, former U.S. President Donald Trump sat and his lawyer Todd Branch spoke on the second day of jury selection in the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, the United States. The court conducts.
Christine Cornell | Reuters
The men will face questioning from Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors from the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
The process of selecting just 12 jurors and six alternates could take two weeks or more. Jurors have not yet been seated.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the case over his concealment of a $130,000 hush-money payment from then-lawyer Michael Cohen to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election. part of the plan.
Trump later reimbursed Cohen’s fees in monthly installments, but the fees were mislabeled, Bragg claimed.
Bragg accused Trump of trying to influence the 2016 election by buying the silence of Daniels, who said she had a one-time tryst with Trump in July 2006. This was four months after he had sex with Daniels.
Just before entering court on Tuesday, Trump defended the payment to Cohen.
“I paid the lawyer and marked it as legal fees. I don’t know, some accountants marked it as legal fees, and that’s what it was,” Trump said. “Are you being sued for this?”
Trump also criticized the presiding judge, Juan Merchan, calling him a “Trump-hating judge” who “should not be involved in this case.”
When his lawyers asked on Monday that the trial schedule be adjusted to allow Trump to attend to other personal and legal matters, Merchin reacted coolly.
Those events include a Supreme Court hearing on his request for presidential immunity in a separate criminal case and Barron’s high school graduation.
Merchant did not reject the requests outright, but he also did not immediately agree.
The trial is expected to last about six weeks, with proceedings taking place four days a week.
Trump is required to remain in court throughout the trial, which could disrupt his plans for a presidential campaign.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
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