As jury selection continues, Juan Merchan admonished the former president for “gesturing and speaking in the direction of the juror,” cautioning against potential juror intimidation during Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial.
The judge issued a stern rebuke, emphasizing, “I won’t have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom.”
Despite Trump’s apparent misbehavior, the trial’s progress remained uninterrupted, with seven jurors selected by the end of the day.
Judge Juan Merchan’s remark followed the resumption of jury selection after lunch, prompted by the discovery of a video on a potential juror’s social media.
The video depicted a street celebration over Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. After questioning the juror about it, Merchan directly addressed Trump’s lawyers, noting that their client’s actions were audible, given the close proximity of the juror to Trump, just 12 feet away.
Merchan’s admonishment was unequivocal: “It was audible. He was gesturing and he was speaking in the direction of the juror.” He made it clear that such behavior would not be tolerated in his courtroom.
“I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom,” Merchan firmly stated, urging Trump’s legal team to address the issue. He emphasized the importance of respecting the integrity of the jury selection process.
Merchan’s warning to Trump represented a significant departure from the otherwise standard proceedings of jury selection.
Trump made his appearance at the Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday morning, marking the second day of jury selection in his landmark criminal trial related to hush-money payments made to a porn star.
Entering the courtroom at approximately 9:30 am, the former president exchanged a wink with a court security officer before taking his seat at the defense table, where his longtime aide Jason Miller was also present, seated towards the back of the courtroom, as reported by a pool report.
The previous day, during the afternoon session, out of the 96 potential jurors questioned about their ability to remain impartial, 50 indicated they would have difficulty and were subsequently excused. This underscored the challenge faced by Judge Juan Merchan in assembling a jury of 12 members along with six alternates who could demonstrate impartiality toward Trump.
The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, has brought charges against the former president over payments purportedly made to conceal his alleged affairs with adult film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. Prosecutors allege that Trump orchestrated these payments to prevent these alleged liaisons from becoming public knowledge, thus avoiding potential political fallout during the 2016 presidential election.
The trial is unfolding against the backdrop of a presidential race in which Trump is poised to become the Republican nominee, ultimately facing off against Joe Biden in November.
Bragg’s office alleges that Trump, indicted by a grand jury in spring 2023 on 34 counts of falsifying business records, was involved in a purported “catch-and-kill scheme” from August 2015 to December 2017, alongside his then-attorney, Michael Cohen.
Trump’s former confidant, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges related to his role in the hush-money scheme, transferred $130,000 to Daniels’s attorney less than two weeks before the election, using a shell company for the transaction.
Following Trump’s electoral victory, he reimbursed Cohen through a series of monthly payments, initially drawn from the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust.
The company, however, presented the payments as legal expenses, a move prosecutors argue suggests that Trump knowingly falsified business records “with intent to defraud and commit another crime” – specifically, violating campaign finance laws to influence the outcome of the US election.
The documents in the prosecutors’ contempt motion against Trump were made public on Tuesday. They asserted in court on Monday that he violated Judge Merchan’s gag order prohibiting attacks on witnesses. Merchan has scheduled a hearing on the motion for April 23.
On Tuesday, as jury selection resumed, another potential juror was dismissed after citing his upbringing in Texas. Although he claimed to have no political leanings, he noted that many of his family and friends were Republicans, suggesting it might be challenging for him to remain impartial.
“I appreciate your candor,” Merchan replied. “I’m going to have to excuse you at this time.”
Another potential juror mentioned that he had read three of Trump’s books, eliciting a rare smile from Trump.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass later addressed the remaining prospects regarding their impartiality.
“This case has nothing to do with your personal politics,” he emphasized. “It’s not a referendum on the Trump presidency or a popularity contest, nor does it indicate who you’re going to vote for in November. We don’t care.
“This case is about whether this man broke the law.”
Directly after court, Trump made his first campaign appearance since his hush-money trial began by visiting a New York bodega. This makes him the first former president in US history to stand criminal trial while campaigning for political office.
With most days spent in the courtroom, Trump’s movements and ability to campaign, fundraise, and make calls will be dramatically limited. Aides have devised plans for rallies and political events on weekends and Wednesdays, the one weekday when court is not in session. Additionally, local appearances are scheduled for Trump after court recesses each day.
Trump made a stop at the Sanaa Convenient Store, a small bodega selling chips, soda, and other snacks. Aides explained that Trump chose this store because it had been the site of a violent attack on an employee, even though the case was resolved nearly two years ago when the charges were dismissed.
His campaign stop in Harlem allows him to make a serious effort to win his native state, despite its strong Democratic lean.
“They want law and order… every week they’re being robbed,” Trump remarked about businesses in New York, attempting to draw a comparison between his prosecution and the state of New York streets. “You know where the crime is? It’s in the bodegas.”