Lawyers aim to wrap up jury selection in Trump criminal trial

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump departs on the day of his trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, outside Trump Tower, in New York City, U.S. , April 19, 2024. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

By Luc Cohen, Jack Queen and Andy Sullivan

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Lawyers in Donald Trump’s criminal trial are expected on Friday to wrap up the painstaking process of selecting a jury that will for the first time in U.S. history determine whether a former president is guilty of breaking the law.

With the 12-member jury already chosen, prosecutors and defense lawyers need six alternates for the trial, which is expected to run through May. Opening statements could start on Monday.

Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters with attorney Todd Blanche at the end of the day at Manhattan criminal court as jury selection continues in New York, U.S., April 18, 2024. Jabin Botsford/Pool via REUTERS

Two jurors have already been removed from the case. Justice Juan Merchan dismissed one juror on Thursday who said she felt intimidated after friends and relatives figured out she had been chosen for the trial. Another was dismissed after prosecutors questioned whether he had been truthful about prior run-ins with the law.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media, while holding news clippings, as his trial continues over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S. April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Pool

Jury selection is often a contentious process, as lawyers on either side jockey to assemble a panel they hope will be most sympathetic to their interests.

But it has proven especially challenging in this case, which involves a controversial former president who is accused of covering up a hush-money payment to a porn star shortly before he was elected in 2016. Trump has pleaded not guilty.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump walks out to speak to reporters at the end of the day at Manhattan criminal court as jury selection continues in New York, U.S., April 18, 2024. Jabin Botsford/Pool via REUTERS

It is one of four criminal cases Trump faces, but the only one certain to go to trial ahead of the Nov. 5 election, when the Republican politician aims to again take on Democratic President Joe Biden. A conviction would not bar him from office.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump listens to his lawyer Todd Blanche during jury selection of his criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S. April 18, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg

Roughly half of the more than 200 potential jurors who were screened said they would not be able to impartially assess Trump’s guilt or innocence. All were drawn from Manhattan, a heavily Democratic borough of New York City, which was once Trump’s hometown.

Trump has said, without providing evidence, that all four criminal cases are an effort by Biden allies to undercut his campaign. His criticism of witnesses, prosecutors, the judge and their relatives in this case and others has also sparked concerns about harassment, prompting Merchan to impose a partial gag order.

Trump has tested the limits of that gag order, and prosecutors have asked Merchan to penalize him.

As he arrived at court on Friday, Trump called the gag order “unfair” because it did not prevent other people from criticizing him. “They can continue to make up lies … they’re real scum,” he said, without clarifying who he was speaking about.

Merchan has taken steps to shield jurors from harassment, saying they will remain anonymous except to Trump, his lawyers, and prosecutors. On Thursday, the judge said he would prohibit news outlets from reporting on aspects of potential jurors’ employment.

In this case, Trump is accused of covering up a $130,000 payment his former lawyer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter she says they had a decade earlier.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and denies any such encounter with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in his other three criminal cases as well. Two accuse him of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden, while another accuses him of mishandling classified documents after he left office.

(Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jack Queen; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis and Jonathan Oatis)