TWELVE jurors are selected in the Trump trial: Judge says the hush money case ... trends now
Lawyers in Donald Trump's historic criminal trial on Thursday selected 12 jurors who will assess his guilt or innocence over the coming weeks in a case stemming from a hush-money payment to a porn star.
The defense and the prosecution still must select alternate jurors for the trial, the first ever in which a former U.S. president is the defendant.
Earlier, the judge dismissed two jurors on Thursday as the court struggled to assemble a panel for one of the most high-profile criminal cases in American history.
Prosecutors said one juror had not disclosed prior brushes with the law, and Judge Juan Merchan excused him after bringing him in to the court for further questioning.
It came shortly after Judge Merchan had let go another juror, a nurse who said she felt intimidated because some of her personal information had been made public.
The two removals mean that five people have so far been selected for the jury, down from seven. It will ultimately comprise 12 members and six alternates.
It highlighted the unprecedented pressures around the first criminal trial ever of a former U.S. president.
Former president Donald Trump pays close attention during his criminal trial
Communications aide to former US President Donald Trump Natalie Harp (R), Trump's Deputy Communications chief Margo Martin (L) and Trump advisor Jason Miller (C) return from lunch break as the former president attends his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 18, 2024 in New York Cit
Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings during jury selection at Manhattan criminal court, Thursday, April 18, 2024 in New York
Former US President Donald Trump attends his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 18, 2024
Donald Trump's assistant Margo Martin is seen leaving Trump Tower to heart to court. Martin did not travel in the same SUV as Trump but was part of the convoy of cars that followed. She was carrying her shoes as she entered the vehicle
Deputy communications chief Margo Martin gets into a convoy vehicle
The latest juror to be dismissed was a grandfather and IT consultant who had previously told the court he finds Trump 'fascinating'.
'He walks into a room and he sets people off an I find that really interesting,' the man said during jury selection. 'One guy can do all this. Wow. He makes things interesting.'
After he was accepted on to the jury on Tuesday details of a possible past arrest came to light.
It was uncovered by lawyers that he may have taken down conservative political posters in the 1990s.
On Thursday, Judge Merchan spoke to the juror for about four minutes and then excused him.
Earlier, the former president had left Trump Tower for the third day of jury selection.
Aide Margo Martin, who has been among those attending the case, was spotted carrying her stilettos under an umbrella to protect them from the rain.
The deputy communications chief was part of the convoy of cars that followed Trump's SUV.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits during the 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
