2024-04-19 05:36:37
Here is a breakdown of the 12 jurors seated in the trial of former President Donald Trump. The trial is taking place in solidly-Democrat Manhattan, making it challenging for Trump’s defense to find fair and impartial jurors.
The jurors who were selected on Thursday include:
— A man who lives in Hells Kitchen, works in investment banking, has an MBA in finance, is married and lives with his wife, and enjoys hiking, music concerts and living with his wife. He describes himself as agnostic, but raised Catholic. He said he uses X, follows Truth Social Posts via X, follows trial witness Michael Cohen, the anti-Trump X account user Mueller She Wrote, and follows news on the Ukraine and Israel Wars. He said he also listens to SiriusXM radio.
— A man who lives in West Village, has worked as a security engineer for 25 years, is married with three children, and whose wife is a teacher. His hobbies are his children, and metal and woodworking. He said he does not have social media and follows a “spattering” of news outlets. He answered “yes,” when asked “Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked for any company or organization that is owned or run by Donald Trump or anyone in his family?”
— A man who lives in the Upper East Side originally from Lebanon, is retired but still consults with some clients, has an MBA, is married with a son and a daughter, enjoys fly fishing, and skiing and does yoga and meditation every morning. He said he follows the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, and CNBC. His brother in law is a lawyer.
— A woman who lives in the Upper East Side who grew up in New Jersey, works as a speech therapist for the Department of Education, has a B.A. and Master’s degree, is single with no children, lives alone, enjoys walks, restaurants, and taking advantage of living in New York City, said, “I don’t watch any news or follow it too closely.” She said she subscribes to the New York Times’ “morning whatever” and CNN’s Five Things newsletters, listens to podcasts about reality TV, and has a mom who works for the state of New Jersey. She said about Trump, “I do have opinions, yes,” but she insisted she can be fair and impartial. She also said, “I do not agree with a lot of his politics and his decisions as a president, but I have really taken the past two days to reflect and make sure that I could leave that at the door and be a totally impartial juror, and I feel like I can.”
— A man who lives in Murray Hill, is originally from Ohio, works for an eyewear company in commerce, is unmarried with no children, lives with an accountant, likes the outdoors and animals. He said he did not have a “strong opinion” about Trump, and said, “Some things I am in favor, for things I am not in favor.”
— A woman who lives in Upper Manhattan, works as a product development manager for a multinational apparel company, is unmarried with no children, enjoys exploring New York and eating, said, “I don’t really follow the news,” but uses Google and reads industry-specific outlets. She said, “I don’t have strong opinions about him, but I don’t like his persona, how he presents himself in public. I don’t really agree with some of his politics, but that does not mean I can’t be impartial.” She added, “I don’t like some of my co-workers, but I am not going to — but I can hear him out and understand his point of view and understand his issues.” She also said, “He just seems very selfish and self serving, so I don’t really appreciate that in any public servant. So I don’t, I mean I don’t know him as a person, so I don’t know how he is in terms of his integrity or anything in his personal life. But how he is in public and how he himself portrays himself in public, it just seems to me it is not my cup of tea.”
— A woman who lives on the Upper East Side who works as a physical therapist, has a B.A. and doctorate in physical therapy, is married with no children, and has a husband who works as a coach for a professional sports team, and enjoys running, playing tennis, and paddle boarding with husband and dog. She said she reads the New York Times, USA Today, and CNN. She also listens to podcasts related to sports and faith. She said her in-laws are attorneys. She said she did not have strong feelings about Trump.
The jurors who were selected on Monday and Tuesday include:
— A man who lives in West Harlem and works in sales, who is married, enjoys “anything outdoorsy,” and said he follows the New York Times, Daily Mail, some Fox News and MSNBC.
— A man who lives in Chelsea, is a corporate law attorney, is not married with children, enjoys hiking and running, and get his news from the the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Google.
— A woman who lives in Harlem, is a teacher and lives with her brother, a basketball coach. She enjoys writing, theater, and traveling, and gets her news from Google and TikTok. She said she listens to podcasts on relationships and pop culture, as well as the Breakfast Club podcast.
— A woman who lives in Chelsea and works as a software engineer. She has three roommates, and said she gets news from the New York Times and TikTok.
— A man who lives on the Upper East Side and is a civil litigator. He said he knew virtually nothing about criminal law and election finance. He said he did not think a former president should be held to a higher standard and said he was ambivalent about Trump, saying something things he liked, and some he did not. He said he was not sure if he had any opinion about his character.
As far as alternates, the first one selected is:
— A woman who lives in Midtown East, is an analyst for an asset manager, lives with a self-employed boyfriend, likes to run and hang out with friends and eat, and reads the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times. Her sister is a law student.
Judge Juan Merchan ordered reporters to stop specifying the physical appearances of jurors, after one juror asked to be dismissed out of concern she would be identified.
The court convenes on Friday at 9:30 a.m. to continue questioning potential alternates.
JUST IN: https://t.co/LiNamzqXgS
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) April 18, 2024
The court needs five more before opening arguments can begin.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has accused Trump of violating New York state law by falsifying business records in an alleged attempt to hide an alleged campaign finance violation that involved paying former adult actress Stormy Daniels a hush money payment before the 2016 election.
The case is New York v. Trump, No. 71543-23, in the New York Supreme Court for New York County.
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