Jury selection is set to begin Monday to impanel a group of 12 New Yorkers who will ultimately decide whether to convict former President Donald Trump in his first criminal trial. Court officials expect about 500 new jurors to appear each day beginning April 15 to be available for the selection process, though some of those individuals will also be pulled to other cases in the court system.
As in any state criminal court case in the county, the pool will be limited to people who live in Manhattan. About 100 prospective jurors at a time will be brought into Judge Juan Merchan’s courtroom to be vetted.
Twelve jurors will make up the panel that will ultimately consider the 34 counts of falsifying business records against Trump. Six alternates will also hear the case in case a juror on the main panel needs to be replaced.
Prospective jurors can be dismissed by the judge for cause if he finds they shouldn’t serve on the panel. Prosecutors and Trump’s defense team will also get 10 peremptory strikes they can use to remove a juror from the pool, no questions asked.
Potential jurors tapped to enter the prospective pool for Trump’s panel will complete a questionnaire created by the judge with input from the attorneys for Trump and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. They will be asked a wide range of questions, including where in the city they live, where they get their news, and their affiliations with various groups.
Trump’s lawyers wanted to ask about political party affiliations and voting history, but the judge excluded those questions from the final questionnaire. The prospective jurors will also be asked about their interactions with Trump-related events and social media platforms.
If selected, jurors will read their answers out loud in court and may be asked follow-up questions by the attorneys and the judge to ensure impartiality. Judge Merchan has stated that he will dismiss any prospective jurors who self-report their inability to serve on the panel.
Identifying information about the jurors will not be publicly released to protect their privacy. Merchan has also issued a gag order to prevent public comments about the jurors involved in the proceedings.
A sketch artist will be allowed in the courtroom during the selection process, but they are instructed not to sketch jurors’ faces. The media will not be allowed to photograph or record the proceedings, with only a few reporters permitted in the courtroom at a time.
Most reporters will cover the jury selection from an overflow courtroom with closed-circuit monitors providing a view of Trump and the lawyers.
