By NewsBlogger Former US President Donald Trump is set to face trial in Manhattan on 34 felony charges, including falsifying business records related to hush money payments, with potential witnesses including Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen.
At a glance
- First criminal trial of former US president set to begin in Manhattan with Donald Trump facing 34 felony charges
- Charges include falsifying business records to conceal hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.
- Efforts to delay proceedings have been unsuccessful. The trial is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. in Judge Juan Merchan’s courtroom.
- Trump is also facing three other criminal indictments and appealing two judgments in New York.
- The jury selection process includes questioning prospective jurors about hardship, bias, and beliefs that may affect their ability to be fair and impartial.
The details
The first criminal trial of a former US president is set to begin in Manhattan, with Donald Trump facing 34 felony charges.
These charges include falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.
Trump denies any wrongdoing.
The trial details
The trial is scheduled to start at 10 am in Judge Juan Merchan’s courtroom.
Potential witnesses in the trial may include Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, Michael Cohen, David Pecker, Hope Hicks, and possibly Trump himself.
Efforts by Trump’s legal team to delay proceedings have been unsuccessful.
Judge Merchan has refused to postpone the trial despite attacks on his integrity from Trump.
The trial will not be televised due to New York state law, although photographs or video may emerge.
Other legal challenges
Trump is also facing three other criminal indictments and appealing two judgments in New York.
His Florida and DC cases are unlikely to be televised.
The hush money case revolves around allegations that Trump instructed staff to log hush money payments as legal expenses.
Jury selection and trial details
The trial jury in Manhattan is expected to be left-leaning, affluent, and educated.
The jury selection process includes questioning prospective jurors about hardship, bias, and beliefs that may affect their ability to be fair and impartial.
Defence and prosecution will use peremptory strikes to remove jurors, with alternates selected in case of inability to serve.
Trump’s trial days are expected to last from 9.30am ET to 4.30pm ET, with a start time of 10am ET on Monday.
The outcome of the trial could potentially impact Trump’s presidential bid.
He faces 34 counts of falsifying business records, each carrying a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
While Trump has pleaded not guilty, if convicted, he could face fines, probation, and community service rather than a lengthy prison sentence.
Trump has expressed his intent to testify at the trial alongside other high-profile witnesses such as former White House aides and Michael Cohen.
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| independent.co.uk |
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| – Donald Trump is set to become the first American president to face a criminal trial – Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg has accused Trump of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels – Trump denies the affair and any wrongdoing, facing 34 felony charges – Potential witnesses in the trial include Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, Michael Cohen, David Pecker, Hope Hicks, and possibly Trump himself – Trump is also battling three other criminal indictments and appealing two judgments in New York – Trump’s legal team has been successful in delaying proceedings by filing motions to dismiss or postpone cases – Judge Juan Merchan has refused to delay the hush money trial despite attacks on his integrity from Trump – Trump has accused the justice’s daughter of political bias, resulting in a gag order – The trial is expected to begin at 10am in Judge Merchan’s Manhattan courtroom – New York state law prohibits televising the trial, but photographs or video may emerge – Judge Merchan is unlikely to allow television cameras in the courtroom – Trump’s Florida and DC cases are unlikely to be televised, but the Georgia trial could potentially be shown live |
| independent.co.uk |
|---|
| – The first criminal trial of a former US president will begin with jury selection on Monday – The hush money case involves 34 charges of business fraud following allegations that Donald Trump instructed staff that hush money payments be logged as legal expenses – The trial is taking place in Manhattan, where the jury is likely to be left of centre, well off, and more educated than the country at large – Judges have discretion on how to conduct the jury selection process, with different procedures in every state and county – Prospective jurors receive a summons in the mail and may be called in person or by phone – Several hundred jurors may be called due to potential bias issues in the high-profile case – Jurors are asked about hardship and reasons they may not be able to serve for the duration of the trial – Economic hardship, pre-planned vacations, and caregiving responsibilities may be reasons for excusal – Judges also ask about bias and may excuse jurors who express beliefs that they cannot be fair and impartial – Jurors fill out a questionnaire covering basic biographic information and questions related to the case – Questioning of jurors can happen in the juror’s box or in the gallery, with jurors replaced as they are removed – Defence and prosecution question jurors, with peremptory strikes used to remove jurors without stating a reason – Alternates are selected in case a juror is unable to serve during the trial – Manhattan is an educated and affluent venue, with jurors likely to have heard specifics about the case – Prosecution will try to strike Trump supporters, while the defence will try to remove left-leaning people – Parties do background research on jurors, including looking at social media and publicly available information – The selection process is expected to be lengthy due to the publicity and strong feelings surrounding the case – Norm Eisen and Katie Phang provided insights into the jury selection process and trial proceedings. |
| independent.co.uk |
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| – Donald Trump will be in court on Monday, becoming the first American president to face a criminal trial. – The trial focuses on accusations by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg that Trump falsified business records, a felony in the state of New York, including to conceal a “hush money” payment he is alleged to have made to the adult film star Stormy Daniels. – The payment was allegedly made amid the 2016 presidential election to try and silence her over an extramarital affair Daniels alleges she had with the former president more than a decade ago. – New York state law requires defendants to be personally present during the trial, with a few exceptions. – Mr Trump could ask to be excused, and if no one objects, an order can be issued after it is declared the defendant is waiving their rights to be present. – A defendant who acts disorderly and disruptive in the courtroom can be removed if they continue to do so after a warning. – After multiple attempts to delay the trial, the proceedings are slated to start on Monday, with Mr Trump required to be present except on Wednesdays and weekends. – New York Justice Juan Merchan denied Mr Trump’s most recent attempt to adjourn the trial due to alleged prejudicial pre-trial publicity. – The trial days are expected to last from 9.30am ET to 4.30pm ET, with a start time of 10am ET on Monday. – Questions have arisen as to whether the outcome of the trial could affect Mr Trump’s presidential bid and if he could go to prison. – Mr Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records, with each count carrying a maximum sentence of four years in prison, totaling a maximum of 136 years. – Sentences like this are usually only handed out with mitigating circumstances in mind, such as previous convictions and the seriousness of the crime. – A judge is not likely to sentence Mr Trump to anything more than fines, probation, and community service, as the accusations are largely victimless. – Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty and claimed he will testify at the trial in Manhattan. – If he does testify, Mr Trump will join a lineup of other high-profile witnesses including former White House aides, his former attorney Michael Cohen, and Stormy Daniels. |
