Seven jurors have been sworn in and seated in Donald Trump's hush money case in New York City as the former president's criminal trial continued Tuesday.
The panel—which will be part of the first jury to hear arguments on criminal charges brought against a former U.S. president—was selected after prosecutors and defense attorneys dismissed several dozen potential jurors in an effort to weed out any potential biases. Members of the jury pool were required to fill out a series of 42 questions and faced scrutiny from both sides of the case before being seated.
Trump is facing 34 felony charges in the falsification of business records tied to hush money paid to adult-film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg accuses the former president of attempting to conceal potentially adverse information from U.S. voters. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains that he never had an affair with Daniels.
New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan is working to secure 12 jurors and six alternatives.
Here is what we know about the jurors who have been sworn in:
Seat 1:
The first juror sworn in is a West Harlem resident originally from Ireland. He works in sales and previously served as a waiter, with some college education. He's married and has no children, and his spouse is studying in school. Some of his news sources include the The New York Times, The Daily Mail, Fox News and MSNBC.
Seat 2:
The second juror is a New York City native and an oncology nurse at a large hospital. She lives on the Upper East Side and has been at her job for 15 years. She has a master's degree in nursing, is not married and has no children, although she lives with her fiancé, who works in the finance industry. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, friends and walking her dog. Her news sources include The New York Times, CNN, Google and she has a Facebook account.
According to Monday's press pool report, the second juror was asked her opinion of the former president by Todd Blanche, Trump's lead attorney.
"I don't really have one," she said. "Especially in this courtroom, he will be treated as anyone else can be treated and no one is above the law."
Seat 3:
The third juror who was seated Tuesday is a Chelsea resident who grew up in Oregon. She has worked as an attorney in corporate law for five years, and is unmarried with no children. Some of her news sources include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Google.
Seat 4:
The fourth juror sworn in is a native of Puerto Rico residing on the Lower East Side. He has worked in IT training and consulting and said that he has been married for a "long time." He has one child and two grandchildren and participates in nonprofits. He also previously served as a juror in a civil trial several years ago but was unable to remember the verdict reached while facing questions Tuesday. Some of his news sources include the New York Daily News, The New York Times, Google and X, formerly Twitter.
Seat 5:
The fifth juror is a Harlem resident who has been a teacher for eight years. She also previously served as a caseworker in juvenile delinquency. She is not married, has no children and some of her news sources include TikTok, Google and pop culture-related podcasts. Her mother was an administrative aide for the police force and her godfather was a homicide sergeant. Both are retired.
Seat 6:
The sixth and final juror sworn in Monday afternoon is a native New Yorker who lives in Chelsea. She's a software engineer, is not married and has no kids.
Seat 7:
The seventh juror was selected just before Tuesday's proceedings wrapped for the day. He lives on the Upper East Side, originally from North Carolina, and said that he enjoys spending his free time outdoors and with his two children. He works as a lawyer and civil litigator, and his wife is in risk management. His news sources include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and The Washington Post.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign via email Tuesday evening for comment.
Update 4/17/24, 3:04 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
