Twelve jurors have been seated in former President Donald Trump's criminal hush money case.
Trump says he's supposed to be campaigning
Former President Donald Trump addressed the media as he walked out of court early Thursday evening, shortly after the jury was seated in his hush money case.
"I'm supposed to be in New Hampshire, I'm supposed to be in Georgia, I'm supposed to be in North Carolina, South Carolina," Trump said. "I'm supposed to be in a lot of different places campaigning, but I've been here all day on a trial that really is a very unfair trial."
He then flipped through a large stack of papers he said were stories of legal experts commenting on the trial and that it's "not a case."
"The whole world is watching this hoax," he continued.
Court is scheduled to resume Friday at 9:30 a.m.
TRUMP: “I'm supposed to be in a lot of different places campaigning, but I've been here all day on a trial that really is a very unfair trial."
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 18, 2024
pic.twitter.com/Pdti77iegp
Court adjourns
The day wraps up with the prosecution asking the court to clarify next week's schedule and requesting that potential witnesses be able to hear the testimony of other witnesses.
On the first matter, the judge rules that court will go until 2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, presumably for Passover.
On the second, Trump's attorneys asked for a witness list, which prosecutors expressed skepticism about providing given Trump's attacks on social media.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche offers to promise to ensure that his client won't go after the witnesses online to which the judge responds, "I don't think you can commit to that."
He does not order the DA's office to give the defense the list.
Jury sworn in
The 12 jurors and one alternate have been sworn in.
The court has also seated the 22 prospective jurors who will return tomorrow for questioning. There are five remaining seats that need to be selected as alternate jurors.
Judge Merchan seems confident that they will be picked tomorrow and that opening arguments will be able to begin Monday.
Two more jurors seated
Two more jurors have been selected. This brings the jury back to seven total, after two previously seated jurors were dismissed earlier today.
One resides in Hell's Kitchen and works in investment banking. He follows both Trump and Michael Cohen. The second lives in West Village and works as a security engineer.
From this group of prospective jurors, prosecutors struck one, while the defense struck three.
The prosecution successfully strikes one of the prospective jurors "for cause" after she says can't be fair and impartial because she has discussed the case at length with her coworkers at the court.
The defense moved to strike another juror for cause who had met Trump attorney Susan Necheles 15 years ago. This juror said she and her husband stayed at Necheles' home. Trump's team cited that interaction and her husband's public comments about reporting on the Trump White House.
Merchan denied the challenge.
New group of potential jurors sworn in
The group of 18 prospective jurors is now stepping out of the courtroom. Lawyers on both sides will make decisions about this group. Both teams each have four peremptory strikes remaining.
Now, a new group of prospective jurors has entered the courtroom and is being sworn in. Judge Juan Merchan says they will then be dismissed and return tomorrow morning.
This will be the third panel of potential jurors.
Potential juror recalls seeing Trump shopping with Marla Maples
Trump was seen laughing after a potential juror recalled seeing him shopping with Marla Maples, his ex-wife.
"I am born and raised in Brooklyn, New York... I once saw him and Marla Maples shopping for baby things," she said. Trump laughed. The two were married in the 1990s and have one daughter, Tiffany.
"I had a cousin who moved into the Trump building," she continued. "I had a cousin who moved across the street from the site... had nothing but positive things to say about the construction. How I feel about him as president is different."
Another prospective juror tells Trump attorney Susan Necheles that he does not agree with Trump's policies, but said it's not personal.
"I disagree with most of his policies," the juror said. When Necheles asked what the juror thinks of Trump as a person, the juror answered, "don't know him, it's purely a political opinion."
Necheles is continuing to go down the line.
One prospective juror, who called himself a wanna-be hockey player, thanked Trump for fixing the Wollman Rink in Central Park.
One woman told Necheles she does not like Trump.
Another prospective juror said Trump is not their "cup of tea," while another called it "pretty amazing" that he became president.
Steinglass to potential jurors: Can you return a guilty verdict?
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass reiterates that some witnesses in the case have "some edge." Some potential witnesses include: Adult film star Stormy Daniels, former playboy model Karen McDougal, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and former Trump communications director and counselor, Hope Hicks.
One juror mentions that she met Trump attorney Susan Necheles through her husband once, 15 years ago. She said it would not impact her ability to be fair and impartial.
Steinglass asks jurors to think about whether or not they could return a guilty verdict, running down the line. Everyone seems to be nodding.
Trump attorney Susan Necheles now addressing potential jurors. Trump is resting his arm on the back of his chair, watching the jury box.
Trump watches as prosecution begins questioning potential jurors
Attorneys will now address the jurors in the box for 30 mins each, beginning with prosecutor Joshua Steinglass.
Trump is looking intently at the jury box while potential jurors answer questions, Newsweek's Katherine Fung reports.
One potential juror, a law clerk, says she is "worried that I know too much."
"I just don't know... I'm worried that it's going to seep in, in some way," she said to Steinglass.
Before the questioning began, Trump attorney Todd Blanche again brought up how cold it is inside the courtroom, apologizing to potential jurors.
Soon: Jury selection to resume
It's 2:10 p.m. in New York City, and court is set to reconvene from a lunch break momentarily.
Here's a quick recap of what's happened today:
The morning began with seven seated jurors, we're now down to five.
The first woman explained that friends and family questioned her identity as a juror yesterday, and she has concerns of being fair and impartial. She was excused. The second was dismissed after prosecutors raised issues with the veracity of his answers.
A total of 12 jurors are needed along with six alternates.
Before lunch, a group of 18 prospective jurors went through the juror questionnaire. Next, lawyers on both sides will have 30 minutes to address and question the potential jurors.
The defense and prosecution have each used six of their 10 peremptory strikes. They both have four left.
Potential juror dismissed
The first potential juror from this group of 18 has been excused for saying he cannot be fair and impartial.
This man grew up in Italy and said media often compared Trump to billionaire media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, the country's embattled former prime minister.
Court is now taking a lunch break.
Watch: Dismissed potential juror "shocked" to walk into court and see Trump
One woman who was dismissed as a juror from Donald Trump's hush money case describes her reaction when walking into the courtroom and seeing the former president.
A woman, identified as Cat, explained she first reported to court on Tuesday. However, she didn't realize it was the former president's case until she was called into the courtroom at 4 p.m. ET.
"I was shocked," she said in an MSNBC interview Thursday, explaining she was seated in the second row. "Everybody was shocked, everybody was frozen," she said of the jury pool.
This was the first time she was called for jury duty as she just became a U.S. citizen. Ultimately, she was excused from the trial because she was unable to be fair and impartial.
Of Trump, she said, "He doesn't look angry, I think he looks bored, like he wants this to finish."
“I was shocked.”
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 18, 2024
WATCH: Dismissed juror in Donald Trump’s New York criminal hush money trial describes the moment she saw the former president in the courtroom and her experience as a potential juror. pic.twitter.com/1mFeLrI4i5
Questioning resumes
The potential jurors from this group of 18 have returned and continue being questioned, picking up with Seat 10.
There continues to be quite a few potential jurors that are lawyers or work in law. One woman in this group is a paralegal.
Another potential juror said he's read Trump's The Art of the Deal.
Another seated juror excused
A second seated juror has been excused, leaving five people on the jury.
Both sides determined that Juror #4 needed further questioning after prosecutors flagged information that called into question the veracity of his answers. This juror also expressed annoyance about the amount of information being made public.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass notified the court that in the 1990s, a person with the same name as this juror had been arrested for tearing down political posters and involved in a corruption inquiry. On Tuesday, this juror told the court that neither he nor a relative had ever been accused or convicted of a crime.
After a morning break, the judge dismissed this juror. Another juror was dismissed earlier this morning, leaving seven seats to fill on the jury, plus another 6 alternates.
Seated juror concerned by amount of details released
Judge Juan Merchan says another seated juror has expressed "annoyance" over the amount of information released.
Trump has returned to the courtroom following the break and is watching as counsel approaches the bench to discuss.
Several prospective jurors have read Trump's book
So far, three of six prospective jurors in this group have read Trump's book, The Art of the Deal.
One woman said she read a few pages of Michael Cohens' book Disloyal for business reasons.
So far, eight potential jurors from this group have answered questions. We are now on Seat 9. As questioning continues, Trump is still as he sits with his lawyers, Newsweek's Katherine Fung reports.
This group of potential jurors includes: a lawyer, retired teacher, security engineer, former law enforcement member, and a handful work or have worked in investment banking/finance.
Poll: Only 1 in 3 US adults believe Trump did something illegal
Of the several legal battles former President Donald Trump is facing, Americans are least convinced he committed a crime in his hush money case, a new poll shows.
About one-third of U.S. adults say Trump did something illegal in the hush money case, a new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds.
About 4 in 10 respondents have little or no confidence that prosecutors are treating Trump fairly. Only a fifth of those surveyed have a lot of faith that the Supreme Court, judges, or jurors can be fair and impartial in cases involving Trump.
About 1,200 U.S. adults were surveyed nationwide for this poll between April 4-8, just days before the hush money trial began.
What questions are potential jurors being asked?
This group of 18 prospective jurors are answering questions from the juror questionnaire. It contains a list of 42 questions that are intended to determine if potential jurors can be fair and impartial.
Some of the questions include:
- Without telling us your address, in what neighborhood do you live?
- Have you ever served on a jury before? Without telling us the verdict, please tell us whether the jury reached a verdict.
- Which of the following print publications, cable and or network programs, or online media such as websites, blogs, or social media platforms do you visit, read, or watch? (with a list)
- Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked for any company of organization that is owned or run by Donald Trump of anyone in his family?
- Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for a Trump presidential campaign, the Trump presidential administration, or other political entity affiliated with Mr. Trump?
- This question has several follow-ups, including: Have you ever attended a rally of campaign event for Donald Trump? Do you currently follow Donald Trump on any social media site or have you done so in the past? Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for any and-Trump group or organization? Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for any anti-Trump group or organization ? Do you currently follow any anti-Trump group or organization on any social media site, or have you done so in the past? - Have you ever considered yourself a supporter of or belonged to any of the following: The QAnon movement, Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, Three Percenters, Boogaloo Boys, Antifa
- Do you have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about former President Donald Trump, or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?
- Have you read (or listened to audio) of any of the following books or podcasts by Michael Cohen or Mark Pomerantz? (with a list) If so, please let us know if what you have heard or read affects your ability to be a fair and impartial juror in this case.
- The defendant in this case has written a number of books. Have you read (or listened to audio) of any one or more of those books? If so, which ones?
48 potential jurors excused
Forty-eight of the 96 prospective jurors in this panel have been excused for saying they cannot be fair and impartial, according to the press pool.
For context, 50 were excused in the first group of 96.
Now, we are going through potential jurors that can't serve for some other reason.
Trump shakes his head as indictment read
The 96 prospective jurors from Tuesday are now entering the courtroom.
Trump did not stand up to face the jurors as they walked in, like his legal team did, Newsweek's Katherine Fung reports. The former president looked down and shook his head when Merchan read the indictment.
Questions over another seated juror
We are now down to 6 seated jurors.
The status of Juror #4 is also now in question; he is not yet at the courthouse.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass notified the court yesterday that in the 1990s, a person with the same name had been arrested for tearing down political posters and involved in a corruption inquiry.
The juror, who called Trump "fascinating," had told the court neither he nor a relative had ever been accused or convicted of a crime on Tuesday.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche agrees they need to inquire the juror.
Prosecutors: Trump violated gag order seven more times
Prosecutors claim that Trump violated the gag order seven more times.
One of the posts in question links to an article referring to Michael Cohen. Another relates to Fox News host Jesse Watters claiming liberal jurors are trying to get on the jury.
Trump's team argues there are no "willful violations," arguing that Cohen has been attacking Trump, his responses are politically in nature and defend himself from Cohen. They add that the order does not prohibit Trump from responding to political attacks.
Judge Merchan has already set a hearing to discuss potential gag order violations for Tuesday, April 23, and reiterated that he will rule at that time.
Judge: Jurors' places of employment not to be reported
Moving forward, the answers to questions 3A and 3D (current employer and former employer) will be redacted after the state argues they are the most identifying ones on the questionnaire. The legal teams will still have those answers, but they will not be reported.
Seated juror dismissed from case
One of the seven seated jurors has been dismissed after raising concerns that she can no longer be fair and impartial.
She explained that friends and family questioned her identity as a juror yesterday. Judge Juan Merchan is asking the press to refrain from writing about anything that's a physical description, saying there's a reason the jury is "anonymous."
We just lost what would have been a "very good juror" for this case, Merchan said.
"We just lost what would have been a very good juror for this case," Merchan says warning the press about reporting on certain jury details. He reminds the press to only report on what they can hear vs see.
— Katherine Fung (@katherinekfung) April 18, 2024
Trump is in the courtroom
Former President Donald Trump is in the courtroom.
Trump's attorney Todd Blanche is speaking to him, and Trump appears to be responding.
For the first time this week, Trump did not make any remarks to media as he walked into the courthouse.
Who are the seven jurors selected so far?
So far, seven jurors have been selected. The group includes four men and three women. Two jurors are lawyers.
Here's what we know about them:
- SEAT 1/Foreperson: West Harlem resident originally from Ireland, works in sales, previously served as a waiter, some college education. Married, no kids, spouse is currently in school. NYT, Daily Mail, Fox News and MSNBC.
- SEAT 2: New York City native living in the Upper East Side. Oncology nurse at a large hospital for the last 15 years. Masters in nursing. Not married, no kids, lives with fiancé who works in finance. Spends time with family, walking dog, NYT, CNN, Google.
- SEAT 3: Chelsea resident from Oregon. Corporate law attorney for five years. JD. Not married, no kids. Enjoys hiking and running. NYT, WSJ, Google.
- Seat 4: Born in Puerto Rico, lives on the Lower East Side. Works in IT training and consulting, self-employed. Married with one child, two grandchildren. New York Daily News, NYT, Google, X. Called Trump "fascinating."
- SEAT 5: Harlem resident. Teacher at charter school, before a caseworker in juvenile delinquency. MA in education. Not married, no kids. TikTok, Google. Mother and godfather worked in police force, mom as administrative aid, godfather was a homicide sergeant, both retired. Was not aware Trump is facing other charges.
- SEAT 6: Chelsea resident. Software engineer for Walt Disney Company. Not married, no kids, lives with 3 roommates: software engineer, fundraising for nonprofit, consultant.
- SEAT 7: Lives on the Upper East Side, originally from North Carolina. Works in civil litigation. JD. Married to a woman who works in risk management at a bank. Has two children. Likes spending time outside. NYT, WSJ, NYP, WaPo.
In total, 12 jurors will be chosen, along with six alternates. Each side has already used 6/10 peremptory strikes. They both only have four left.
Soon: Jury selection resumes for third day
Good morning. After one day off, former President Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial resumes this morning in Manhattan.
Jury selection will continue when court resumes in about 30 minutes. The 96 jurors who were sworn in Tuesday afternoon will be back for questioning today. On Tuesday, seven jurors were selected, meaning we have five left to seat, plus another 6 alternates.
Court is scheduled to begin this morning at 9:30 a.m. ET. Newsweek senior reporter Katherine Fung is at the courthouse.
