Thirty-four of the 96 potential jurors remain from the first pool in the juror selection process for President Donald Trump’s criminal trial, courtroom journalists reported Monday.
“The rapid disqualification of at least 50 possible jurors underscores the difficult reality of finding a dozen New Yorkers to form the jury in one of the most high-profile cases in U.S. history,” Axios reported:
- “I just couldn’t do it,” one prospective juror said in the hallway outside of the courtroom, per the pool.
- Of the jurors who said they couldn’t be fair or impartial in the case, over two dozen were white women, 1 Hispanic woman, and 4 women of Asian descent. Fourteen were white men and 1 man of Asian descent. Six other jurors were unknown.
The judge reportedly excused at least nine jurors after they admitted they could not serve, which left the 34 jurors remaining.
The 34 potential jurors will progress to the next stage of filling out a questionnaire, which asks what media they consume, where they live, and their political activities.
After the questionnaire, lawyers for both sides will scrutinize the potential candidates. The lawyers will likely investigate the jurors’ social media and ask more personal questions to screen for biases.
Trump’s unprecedented trial began Monday morning with jury selection, the first day of a process that could span two weeks. The trial could last until June.
Democrat Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 felonies, accusing him of falsifying documents to conceal a sex scandal. The trial is the first criminal trial of a president. Trump could face jail time if convicted.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan will prevent Trump from campaigning, appearing at the Supreme Court, and celebrating at his son’s graduation, Trump said Monday.
The case is New York v. Trump, No. 71543-23, in the New York Supreme Court for New York County.
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former GOP War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.
