NEW YORK (NewsNation) — A main panel of 12 people were picked to be on the jury for the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump on Thursday.
Now, the court has moved on to choosing the alternate jurors. So far, one out of the six alternates needed has been seated.
There was a slight setback in the morning. Two people initially picked to be on the jury were excused, but two others were tapped to take their place in the afternoon.
One of the jurors was granted release from serving after she told the judge she was worried her identity may be revealed, adding that she didn’t believe she could be impartial. Her family and friends, the woman said, had been questioning her about being a juror. The other was excused after long deliberations at the bench, where prosecutors raised concerns that he misrepresented his history.
Prosecutors said they came across information showing the second juror tearing down political signs in the 1990s, and said he was also somehow connected to a corruption inquiry around that time period as well.
Judge Juan Merchan admonished the press for reporting details about the jurors, such as their professions. He ordered journalists not to report on questions about current and former employers. Answers about these topics would be redacted from court transcripts as well.
“As evidenced by what’s happened already, it’s become a problem,” Merchan said.
On Thursday, attorneys started jury selection with a pool of nearly 100 potential jurors. A little less than fifty from that pool were excused at the beginning of the day because they said they couldn’t be fair or impartial.
One of the dismissed prospective jurors, art dealer Mark DeMuro, told reporters outside the courthouse that he had made paintings and social media posts satirizing Trump.
Had he been chosen for the jury, DeMuro said,he fears the defense would have “weaponized” his artwork, so he chose to self-dismiss.
As he walked into the New York courtroom flanked by his lawyers, Trump took a brief phone call, despite rules against it. Although he waved at reporters, according to a pool report, he didn’t make comments or answer questions.
Assistant District Attorney Chris Conroy said Thursday that Trump had violated a gag order he is under seven times since Monday. Prosecutors had previously alleged on the first day of the trial that Trump had violated this gag order three other times.
A hearing over the matter is set for next Tuesday.
This past Tuesday, Merchan warned Trump about juror intimidation after the judge said the former president gestured and spoke in the direction of a potential juror while she was being questioned.
Merchan said he won’t have any jurors intimidated in his courtroom.
Trump slams the number of strikes allowed
Trump complained his legal team should have more chances to strike people from serving on the jury.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys are allowed to strike 10 potential jurors from sitting on the trial. So far, both sides have used six each.
“I thought STRIKES were supposed to be “unlimited” when we were picking our jury? I was then told we only had 10, not nearly enough when we were purposely given the 2nd Worst Venue in the Country. Don’t worry, we have the First Worst also, as the Witch Hunt continues! ELECTION INTERFERENCE!,” Trump wrote Wednesday on his Truth Social platform.
What is Trump charged with?
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records and arranging hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. These payments were allegedly aimed at concealing a sexual encounter Trump is accused of having with Daniels.
The charges center on a $130,000 payment that was allegedly made through Trump’s former attorney and “fixer,” Michael Cohen, shortly before the 2016 election.
Prosecutors say Trump obscured the true nature of the payments in internal records when his company reimbursed Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2018 and is expected to be a star witness for the prosecution.
Trump has denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels, and his lawyers argue the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses.
Time outside the courtroom
Trump spent Wednesday night meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, the latest in a series of meetings with foreign leaders as Europe braces for the possibility of a second Trump term.
He hosted Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed the war in Ukraine and Duda’s push to boost NATO members’ defense spending, according to a readout from Trump’s campaign.
Duda, who has long expressed admiration for Trump, is also a staunch supporter of Ukraine and has encouraged Washington to provide more aid to Kyiv amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
On Tuesday, the former president said the trial is helping his bid for the White House, as he “campaigns locally.”
Trump stopped by Sanaa Convenient Store, a tiny bodega in Harlem that sells chips, sodas and other snacks. Trump aides said the former president and presumptive GOP nominee chose the store because it has been the site of a violent attack on an employee, a case that resulted in public criticism for the district attorney now prosecuting him.
The visit was Trump’s first campaign appearance since his criminal hush money trial began.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.