NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. — Seven jurors have been selected to take seats in the first criminal trial against a former president in history.
Former President Donald Trump is accused of falsifying business records in the leadup to the 2016 election.
Prosecutors claim it was an attempt to cover up details of Trump’s alleged sexual encounter with former adult film star Stormy Daniels, who received a $130,000 hush money payment from Trump’s company through his lawyer.
Trump is well-known and the case has been well-publicized. As a result, a former federal judge tells FOX43 that jury selection will take time.
Eleven more jurors must take their seats in former President Donald Trump’s first criminal trial when jury selection resumes Thursday in New York.
“I think it’s proven to be fairly difficult,” said John E. Jones, president of Dickinson College and a former federal judge.
Jones said the presiding judge may have built-in additional time to choose jurors in this high-profile case.
“In selecting a jury, what you don’t want to get is a juror who’s not honest,” Jones said. “Given that people’s attitudes are pretty hardened about this individual, it’s going to take into next week to get a fair jury seated.”
Potential jurors have been grilled on their political affiliations, their past social media posts, and their view of the former president to determine if they’re fit for the case.
Dozens have been dismissed so far.
“The question is not whether a juror has knowledge of Trump, everybody does obviously,” Jones said. “The question is whether their knowledge of the case or the former president or any aspect will prevent them from sitting fairly in judgment.”
The trial is expected to last at least six weeks and could present a challenge for the Trump campaign depending on the outcome.
“You want to do whatever you can to minimize the weaknesses of your candidate and to expose the weaknesses of your opponent,” said Berwood Yost, director of the Franklin and Marshall College Center for Opinion Research. “I think this kind of trial takes that out of your hands as a campaign.”
No matter the outcome, Jones said a state-level conviction cannot keep the former president from running.
“What that means in terms of his personal liberty is something else,” he said. “We’re in very much uncharted waters in every other aspect, but he certainly is not disqualified from running for president.”
If he’s convicted of falsifying business records, Trump could face up to four years in prison.
Given the consistent court schedule, it will be difficult for Trump to make many public appearances or hold rallies during the trial.
It hasn’t kept the former president from attempting to make this case somewhat of an extension of his campaign. He’s been vocal outside the courthouse, knowing most of the country is paying attention to what happens in New York.
Trump is presumed the Republican presidential nominee ahead of the primary elections. Given the timing, Yost doesn’t believe the trial will make an immediate difference in the campaign but said the trial’s outcome will likely sway some voters.