The trial against Donald Trump in New York is progressing at lightning speed. The judge now announces that “our jury” is in place.
Update from April 19, 2024, 8:55 a.m.:
The actual negotiations will begin on the fourth day of the trial against Donald Trump. This time too, Donald Trump will have to be present again. The ex-president is probably spending the night in his Trump Tower, not far from the courtroom in Manhattan.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump's allies are said to be worried about the 77-year-old ex-president's health. This is reported by the TV station
MSNBC
. Several confidants confirmed to the broadcaster that the trial in New York would place a great deal of “physical strain” on the defendant.
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Update from April 18th, 11:05 p.m.:
The twelve-member jury in the historic New York criminal trial against former US President Donald Trump for covering up a hush money payment has been determined. “We have our jury,” Judge Juan Merchan said Thursday after jury selection was previously stalled by the subsequent dismissal of two previously chosen jurors. Now only six replacement jurors would have to be appointed.
By Tuesday, jury selection had progressed quickly: seven jury members had been selected by then. There was a one-day break in the process, and on Thursday the selection process initially moved backwards. One woman selected was excluded again after she raised concerns her identity had been revealed. Judge Merchan ordered that the jurors remain anonymous to protect them from bribery attempts and even physical violence.
Donald Trump freezes in the New York courtroom
Update from April 18th, 8:15 p.m.:
Lunch break at the New York court in the Trump trial: Trump is obviously a little cold in the room, as a
CNN
reporter understood his statements to the media present.
The selection and questioning of the jury is currently ongoing. Of the seven jury members previously selected, only five are still present. What happened? According to
CNN
, one juror had concerns about her identity being made public. She said relatives had already reached out to her and asked about the trial after her description was published in the news. In the case of a second juror, who has now been dismissed, the public prosecutor's office found evidence that she did not give truthful answers during the preliminary questioning.
Jury selection in Trump trial continues
Update from April 18th, 5:00 p.m.:
Judge Juan Merchan has started questioning the candidates for the jury. The potential jurors in the trial against Donald Trump have to answer a total of 42 questions.
Update from April 18th, 4:10 p.m.:
The public prosecutor's office accuses Donald Trump of violating the gag order a total of seven times. “This is ridiculous and it has to stop,” prosecutor Chris Conroy said in the New York courtroom. Trump is said to have tried to influence the jury as well as to influence alleged witnesses.
Prosecutor wants to question Donald Trump on the witness stand
Update from April 18th, 2:10 p.m.:
According to US broadcaster
CBS
, the public prosecutor's office in New York also plans to call Donald Trump personally to the witness stand. If this happens, the ex-president will also be asked questions about his previous convictions. Specifically, this concerns the verdict for fraud against the Trump Organization and the verdict against Trump personally for defamation and sexual abuse in the case of columnist E. Jean Carroll.
Update from April 18th, 12:15 p.m.:
New York is eagerly awaiting which witnesses will be called by the prosecution and defense to testify. The list, which Judge Juan Merchan read to potential jurors on Tuesday, includes several Trump family members, including his three eldest children, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump.
Another possible witness is Melania Trump. Experts in the USA are arguing about whether the ex-president's third and current wife could be forced to testify on the witness stand. “If Melania is subpoenaed by the prosecution, she would have to testify unless she can claim privilege,” said lawyer Neama Rahmani.
Third day in the trial against Donald Trump begins
First report from April 18, 2024:
New York - The historic trial against an ex-president of the USA is entering its third day. The selection of a total of twelve jurors (including six alternates) continues in front of Donald Trump, who is present. On the two days of negotiations so far, an agreement has already been reached on seven jury members.
If things continue at this rate, the actual criminal trial against Donald Trump could begin as early as Monday (April 22nd). Under the chairmanship of Judge Juan Merchan, Trump's alleged hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playmate Karen McDougal would then be heard.
Judge warns Donald Trump
Judge Merchan had already warned Donald Trump several times during the ongoing trial not to try to influence the jury. “I will not allow any jurors to be intimidated in this courtroom,” said Merchan in the direction of the accused ex-president. Trump is also prohibited from insulting the judge or prosecutor Alvin Bragg. If he does not comply with this “gag order”, Trump will face either fines or even imprisonment lasting up to 30 days.
But so far, Trump does not appear to be intimidated by this prospect. The 77-year-old billionaire heir shared a quote from Jesse Watters on Truth Social on Wednesday. The host of the pro-Trump TV channel
Fox News
said on his show “The Five”: “They’re just catching undercover liberal activists lying to the judge to get on the Trump jury.”
A total of four days of negotiations per week are scheduled for the trial. Donald Trump will have to be present in court in New York on each of these days. This in turn leaves the Republican candidate for the upcoming US election in 2024 hardly any time for the election campaign against incumbent President Joe Biden.
Numerous witnesses expected in the trial against Donald Trump
Donald Trump is accused in the case of forging business documents in order to cover up a hush money payment of $130,000 (122,000 euros at today's rate) to Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Trump himself has repeatedly protested his innocence and denied both the hush money payments and the affairs themselves. In contrast, there are statements from Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal and Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
All three are expected to take the witness stand in New York in the coming weeks. Daniels' statement for Trump is likely to be particularly piquant. She claims to have had a brief affair with the then real estate agent while his wife Melania Trump was pregnant with their son Barron Trump.
The protagonists in the trial against Trump
Michael Cohen
: Donald Trump's former lawyer is now considered one of the ex-president's most bitter opponents. In 2018, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for, among other things, tax evasion and false statements in connection with the hush money payments now being negotiated in New York.
Stormy Daniels
: The erotic film actress got the ball rolling with her statements about an affair with Donald Trump.
Juan Merchan
: The judge in the case against Donald Trump has served in various courts in New York since 2006.
Alvin Bragg
: The prosecutor already celebrated a legal success in 2018 when he won a case against the Donald J. Trump Foundation over misused campaign donations. He is a member of the Democrats.
In the end, the jury will have to decide whether Donald Trump is guilty or innocent. The twelve jurors must make this decision unanimously. With just a single dissenting vote, the entire trial against Trump would be declared a failure and end without a verdict.
Test your knowledge of US politics here
If Donald Trump is actually convicted, he will face either imprisonment or another fine. In recent months, the ex-president has already been sentenced to fines of more than $500 million in other trials. Trump is also criminally charged in three other cases.
(with agencies)