Trump’s Manhattan Criminal Case: What to Know About Jury Selection
The hundreds of New Yorkers who report for jury duty Monday morning in Manhattan will embark on an experience not found in history books: They will be vetted as jurors for the trial of a former U.S. president.
The task won’t be easy. Lawyers for Donald J. Trump and prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office will narrow the pool to 12 jurors and several alternates. Both sides will try to discern biases that could alter the outcome of the trial, posing dozens of questions that have been discussed and debated for weeks.
The jurors, for their part, will be expected to answer each question honestly in an intimidating environment, just steps away from the former president, who is expected to attend much of the trial.
Here’s what we know about the process:
Who are the prospective jurors?
The jury pool is composed of Manhattanites. Beyond that, little about the group is known, even by prosecutors and defense lawyers. Both sides will use the next several days, or weeks, to find out all they can.
Because New York State does not allow juries to operate in full anonymity, the parties, including the former president, will know the jurors’ names. The lawyers will also have access to their addresses. (Mr. Trump will not).
The public may never know the jurors’ names. The judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan, granted the prosecutors’ request to withhold them.