{"id":2222031,"date":"2024-04-16T07:10:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-16T11:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-trial-so-far-former-president-seeks-rare-face-to-face-access-with-jurors\/"},"modified":"2024-04-16T10:38:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T14:38:01","slug":"trumps-trial-so-far-former-president-seeks-rare-face-to-face-access-with-jurors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-trial-so-far-former-president-seeks-rare-face-to-face-access-with-jurors\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump&#8217;s trial update: Ex-president seeks uncommon direct contact with jurors"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrumps-trial-so-far-former-president-seeks-rare-face-to-face-access-with-jurors%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2222031&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The first day of Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trumps-criminal-hush-money-trial-set-for-march-25\/\" title=\"Trump's hush money trial scheduled for March 25\">hush money trial<\/a> in \u200cManhattan\u2063 involved the selection of an impartial jury. Trump \u200dfaces 34 charges related to alleged falsification of business records \u200dto conceal\u2062 payments to \u200bStormy Daniels. Despite\u2062 restrictions on courtroom\u2063 visuals, updates \u200cwere rapidly \u2063shared. Trump \u2064was present throughout, showed \u2062confidence, and expressed frustrations. Notable highlights \u200dinclude a \u200brequest for face-to-face \u200dinteraction with prospective jurors and issues\u200b regarding\u2064 a\u2063 gag order violation.\u200d So far, nine qualified potential\u200b jurors \u200bhave been chosen.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The first day of the highly anticipated hush money trial for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Donald Trump<\/a> got underway in Manhattan on Monday, beginning the thorny process of finding an impartial jury to sit on a trial for the first former president indicted on criminal charges.<\/p>\n<p>Trump made his way to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New York<\/a> County Criminal Court on Monday morning where he is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ar-aa1be5ne\/\" title=\"DeSantis files to run for president in 2024.\">facing 34 criminal charges<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/indicting-trump-will-usher-in-americas-banana-republic-stage\/\" title=\"Indicting Trump Will Usher In America\u2019s Banana-Republic Stage\">allegedly falsifying business records<\/a>, an alleged effort to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-booked-in-georgia-on-election-charges\/\" title=\"Trump charged in Georgia for election misconduct.\">hide hush money payments<\/a> to porn star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/stormy-daniels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Stormy Daniels<\/a> to cover up an affair she claims he had with her in 2006. The night before may have been sleepless for the former president, who at times could be seen with his eyes closed during the first full day in court.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>In this courtroom sketch, former President Donald Trump smiles to the jury pool as he is introduced to them at the beginning of his trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York, Monday, April 15, 2024. (Jane Rosenberg\/Pool Photo via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Although no video or cameras were permitted inside the courtroom during the proceedings, information about the trial was able to be relayed near-instantaneously with the help of reporters inside the courtroom. While the only words Trump could be heard speaking were mostly muttered to his attorneys, he frequently spoke to the camera outside the courtroom and offered bystanders a thumbs-up when asked how he was doing.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike the former president\u2019s previous jury trial in the defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, Trump won\u2019t be allowed to ditch the court throughout the multiweek event.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you read all of the legal pundits, all of the legal scholars today, there\u2019s not one that I see that said this is a case that should be brought for a trial. It\u2019s a scam,\u201d Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/2966946\/trump-condemns-new-york-judge-who-may-not-let-him-skip-trial-to-attend-sons-graduation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> reporters Monday afternoon while lamenting he couldn\u2019t be campaigning and was forced to miss his son Barron\u2019s high school graduation.<\/p>\n<p>Other times throughout the day, Trump closed his eyes as New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan worked his way through the jury poll and asked up to 42 questions of each potential juror. Following an afternoon recess, members of the press debated in online channels about whether Trump at one point was dozing off or merely resting his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the top takeaways from the historic first day in court:<\/p>\n<h2>Prosecutors want to fine Trump $3,000 for gag order violation<\/h2>\n<p>Upon his arrival to the courthouse at 9:30, Trump decried the entire trial as an \u201cassault on America\u201d and used his Truth Social media account to criticize potential witnesses.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s recent attacks on his former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, a key witness to the prosecution, became a focus of the first hours of the trial on Monday morning. Prosecutors asked Merchan to hold Trump in contempt and fine him $3,000 for violating the gag order. They also asked to use the attacks as evidence in the actual trial if Trump seeks to discredit Cohen\u2019s testimony. <\/p>\n<p>Merchan established there would be an April 23 hearing to determine if Trump violated a gag order against attacking people involved in the trial.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Former President Donald Trump attends jury selection at Manhattan criminal court in New York, on Monday, April 15, 2024, for his trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. (Jeenah Moon\/Pool Photo via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Trump wants to get face to face with prospective jurors<\/h2>\n<p>Trump is currently undergoing the jury selection process that could take up to two weeks, though it\u2019s the first and arguably the most important part of the nearly two-month trial ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Because of this, Trump made the unusual request through his attorneys to be up close and personal with potential jurors for sidebar questioning. Merchan noted the process could get awkward for a multitude of reasons, noting Trump\u2019s Secret Service detail would also be following along throughout the process.<\/p>\n<p>Criminal defendants in New York are permitted to participate in sidebars because the state has long recognized so-called Antommarchi rights. Trump has the right to be present during all stages of relevant questions presented to prospective jurors, including when a judge has a sidebar to discuss a private matter with a potential juror, so that he can even see their facial reactions to the discussions.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Todd Blanche, attorney for Donald Trump, arrives at Trump Tower, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo\/Yuki Iwamura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Trump attorney Todd Blanche told the judge his client \u201cwants to be present at everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Nine qualified potential jurors have been selected<\/h2>\n<p>The first day resulted in nine qualified potential jurors being selected, which marks about a quarter of the total number of people who must be deemed qualified to serve on the jury based on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/2958873\/read-questions-prospective-trump-jurors-answer-before-theyre-selected-hush-money-trial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"detailed questionnaire\">detailed questionnaire<\/a> that asks questions including what type of news they consume and whether they\u2019ve ever been associated with the \u201cQAnon movement\u201d or if they have ever joined an \u201cAnti-Trump group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the field of jurors needs to be narrowed down to 12 jurors and six alternates, and the court is expected to begin vetting around 100 potential jurors at a time in the courtroom.<\/p>\n<h2>Merchan spent the morning housekeeping and fielding motions<\/h2>\n<p>Meanwhile, Merchan reaffirmed his previous ruling that Trump\u2019s infamous <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/2966171\/trump-trial-judge-denies-use-access-hollywood-tape-allegations-as-evidence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Access Hollywood<\/a><\/em>  tape could not be used by prosecutors, but the transcript of the audio is allowed to be read. <\/p>\n<p>The strategy behind prosecutors using the transcript would be to show a jury evidence of Trump\u2019s rhetoric about women and why he might need to pay a woman like Daniels or former Playboy model Karen McDougal to stay quiet about an alleged affair.<\/p>\n<p>Merchan also denied a request from the defense team for him to recuse himself from the case and issued a warning to Trump against violating his gag order, which also covers the judge\u2019s family.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Trump has gone after the judge\u2019s daughter, Loren Merchan, for her work at Authentic Campaigns, a Chicago-based progressive firm that rakes in millions of dollars from top clients, including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who was the lead prosecutor in Trump\u2019s first impeachment trial, and the Senate Majority PAC, a major Democratic fundraising arm.<\/p>\n<p>Once the jury pool left the courtroom Monday afternoon, Merchan rejected a request by Trump to be excused from the New York trial so he could attend April 25 oral arguments on the immunity claim he has raised in another one of his criminal cases, the federal indictment over an alleged attempt to subvert the 2020 election results.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The much-awaited hush money trial for Donald Trump commenced in Manhattan on Monday. It marked the start of the challenging task of selecting an unbiased jury for the first criminal case against a former president. Trump attended the proceedings at the New York County Criminal Court<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2222032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24106764885748-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Trump&#8217;s trial update: Ex-president seeks uncommon direct contact with jurors","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2222031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24106764885748-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Trump&#8217;s trial update: Ex-president seeks uncommon direct contact with jurors","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2222031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2222031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2222031\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2222032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2222031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2222031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2222031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}