Jury selection for former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, centered on a secret payment to Stormy Daniels, officially began Monday in New York, as lawyers for Trump and the state met with potential jurors to decide who would sit to hear the case. .
Judge Juan Merchan is overseeing the case in which Trump is charged with 34 counts of first-degree tampering with business records during his successful 2016 presidential campaign. The 10 ultimately selected will become the first Americans to convict a former president accused of a crime.
Jury selection procedures are simple. Each potential juror sits in the jury box and will be asked to answer 42 questions on a questionnaire examining their professional background, political affiliations and the media they choose to watch and listen to.
Potential jurors must be Manhattan residents. They are then asked each question and asked to answer them “one by one, in a loud and clear voice,” according to the court’s instructions. They will likely be asked additional follow-up questions as needed based on their response.
The 42 questions in the questionnaire include:
1. A. Without giving us your address, in which neighborhood do you live? For example, Upper East Side, Lower West Side, Inwood, etc.
B- How long have you lived there?
C. Are you from New York? If not, where did you live before?
2. A. what do you do for life?
B. How long have you been doing this?
C. If you are retired, tell us what you did before you retired.
3. A. Who is your current employer?
B. How big is your current employer?
C. Are you self-employed or do you own your own business?
Dr.. Who was your former employer?
4. What is your training? For example, high school diploma, college diploma, graduate diploma, etc.
5. A. Are you married?
B- Have you ever been married?
C- Do you have children?
6 am. If you are married or living with another adult, what does that person do for a living?
B. If you have adult children, what do they do?
7. A. What do you like to do in your free time?
B- Do you have any interests or hobbies?
8. A. Are you involved in any organizations or advocacy groups?
B. Any of them?
9. A. Have you ever served on a jury before? If so, please tell us how long this happened and whether it was in criminal court, civil court, or a grand jury.
B. Without giving us the verdict, please tell us whether or not the jury reached a verdict.
10. Which of the following print publications, cable and/or network programs, or online media such as websites, blogs, or social media platforms do you visit, read, or watch?
The juror is then directed to view various major news platforms such as Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and others. They are also asked to view a list of social media platforms, including Facebook, X, TikTok and others.
11. Do you listen to or watch podcasts? If yes, which ones?
12. Do you listen to talk radio? If yes, what programs?
13. Have you, or a relative or close friend, ever been the subject of a crime? If so, tell us briefly what happened?
14. Have you, a relative or close friend been employed by a law enforcement agency? For example, the police, FBI, district attorney's office, department of corrections, etc.
15. Have you, a relative or close friend been employed by any federal, state or local government, including, but not limited to, New York State?
16. Have you, a relative or close friend ever worked in accounting or finance?
17. Have you, your relative or close friend had any education, training or work experience in the legal field, including, but not limited to, practicing criminal or civil law?
18. A. Have you, a relative or close friend had any experience or interaction with the criminal justice system, including with a police officer or other type of law enforcement officer, who has caused you to form an opinion, whether positive or negative, about the police or criminal justice system we have?
B. If yes, what was this experience like?
C. Will this experience prevent you from being a fair and impartial juror in this case?
19. Have you ever had a relative or close friend accused, convicted, or found guilty of a crime?
20. Do you, or a parent or friend a close, have a pending criminal case?
B. Do you have any political, moral, intellectual, or religious beliefs or opinions that might interfere with your ability to render judgment in this criminal case?
22. Do you have a medical condition that could impair your ability to be here on the designated days and times or prevent you from serving as a juror?
23. Without giving us the name(s), are you taking any medications that might prevent you from concentrating or paying attention during debates or deliberations?
24. Court proceedings usually conclude around 4:30 p.m., but on rare occasions we may work later. Do your schedule and responsibilities allow you to work later if absolutely necessary to complete the day's work?
25. Do you practice a religion that prohibits you from serving as a member of a jury, any day or night of the week?
26. Can you assure us that you will be fair and impartial and will not base your decision in this case on bias or bias for or against any person who may appear at this trial, because of their race or background? color ? Or national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, sexual orientation, or political opinions?
27. Can you promise to be careful not to let stereotypes or attitudes about individuals or groups of people, called implicit biases, influence your decision?
28. Have you, a relative, or a close friend worked for a company or organization owned or operated by Donald Trump or a member of his family?
29. A. Have you, or a relative or close friend, ever worked or volunteered for the Trump presidential campaign, the Trump presidential administration, or any other political entity affiliated with Mr. Trump?
B. Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for Donald Trump?
C. Do you or have you ever signed up for, subscribed to, or followed any newsletter or mailing list administered by or on behalf of Mr. Trump or the Trump Organization?
Dr.. Do you currently follow Donald Trump on social media sites or have you done so in the past?
e. Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for an anti-Trump group or organization?
And the. Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for an anti-Trump group or organization?
g. Are you registered with, subscribed to, or affiliated with a newsletter or mailing list administered by or on behalf of an anti-Trump group or organization?
H. Do you currently follow an anti-Trump group or organization on a social media site, or have you done so in the past?
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| Demonstrators protest outside of Manhattan Criminal Court as former President Trump attends the first day of his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, in New York City on April 15, 2024. Trump is in court Monday as the first former U.S. president ever to be criminally prosecuted. (ADAM GRAY/AFP via Getty Images) |
30. Have you ever considered yourself to support or belong to any of the following groups:
- QAnon movement
- The Proud Boys
- The jurors
- Three percent
- Boogaloo Boys
- Antifa
31. Do you have strong opinions or strongly held beliefs on whether a former president can be criminally charged in state court?
32. Do you have any opinions on how Mr. Trump should be treated in this matter?
33. Can you assure us that you will decide this case based solely on the evidence you see and hear in the courtroom and the law presented by the judge?
34. Do you have any strong opinions or beliefs about former President Donald Trump, or the fact that he is currently a presidential candidate, that could interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?
35. Have you read (or listened to the audio of) any of the following books or podcasts by Michael Cohen or Mark Pomerantz? If so, please let us know if what you have heard or read affects your ability to be a fair and impartial juror in this case.
- Traitor: A Memoir (2020)
- Mia Kulpa (podcast)
- Revenge (2022)
- people against Donald Trump (2023)
36. The defendant in this case has written a number of books. Have you read (or listened to the audio of) one or more of these books? If yes, which ones?
37. Do you have an opinion on the legal limits governing political contributions?
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| Judge Juan Merchan poses for a picture in his chambers, Thursday, March 14, 2024, in New York. A dozen Manhattan residents are soon to become the first Americans ever to sit in judgment of a former president charged with a crime. Jury selection is set to start Monday in former President Trump's hush money trial. (AP Photos) |
38. Can you promise to set aside everything you have heard or read about this case and make your judgment based solely on the evidence presented in this courtroom and the law the judge presented to you ?
39. Can you give us absolute assurance that you will refrain from discussing this case with anyone in any way and from watching, reading or listening to any account of this case while awaiting trial?
40. Can you assure us that you will follow the judge's instructions on the law, including instructions regarding the definition of reasonable doubt and the presumption of innocence?
41- The Constitution of the United States provides that a defendant does not have the burden of providing evidence or testifying in a criminal case. If Mr. Trump chooses not to testify or provide any evidence, can you assure us that you will not hold it against him?
42. Is there any reason, whether bias or otherwise, why you would not be fair and impartial if you were chosen as a juror in this case?
Trump is the first former president to be criminally prosecuted.
Both legal teams can challenge the jurors selected for the case, especially if they believe the potential juror will not be fair or impartial in the case.