Judge Sets March 25th for Jury Selection in Donald Trump’s Hush-Money Trial
In a historic ruling on Thursday, Judge Juan Merchan set the date for jury selection in Donald Trump’s hush-money trial to begin on March 25th. This trial marks the first criminal prosecution of an ex-president and comes at a time when Trump is also leading the Republican field of 2024 candidates for the White House.
Trump, who watched from the defense table in Manhattan criminal court, faces charges of falsifying business records during the 2016 political campaign to conceal a past sexual liaison with adult-film star Stormy Daniels. The judge expects the trial to last about six weeks, stretching from late March to early May. This means that the trial will overlap with the spring’s presidential nominating season, adding an additional layer of complexity to an already high-profile case.
However, Trump’s defense attorney, Todd Blanche, pushed back against the judge’s decision, arguing that they need more time to prepare and that a trial would unfairly interfere with Trump’s campaign. Blanche also mentioned that Trump is scheduled for trial in late May in Florida on separate charges of illegally retaining classified documents. While the judge in that case has indicated a possible delay to allow for more time to review evidence, it remains uncertain.
Among the four separate indictments against Trump, legal experts view the New York case as the least weighty since it involves conduct from eight years ago that was already investigated by federal prosecutors who declined to charge Trump. Nevertheless, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case is set to be the first to come before a jury, despite objections from Trump’s lawyers.
The compressed and expedited schedules in all of Trump’s trials have posed challenges for the defense team. However, Judge Merchan emphasized that they cannot wait for other courts and need to move forward. He dismissed Blanche’s arguments, stating that he had heard most of them before and found them lacking.
The discussion in the courtroom then shifted to jury selection, particularly the questions that should be asked to ensure a fair trial. Given the lack of precedent in a case involving a deeply polarizing public figure like Trump, potential jurors’ affiliations with fringe political groups and their exposure to books by figures like Michael Cohen and Mark Pomerantz were raised as potential areas of inquiry.
While there is a slim chance that the New York trial could take a back seat to a separate federal case against Trump for allegedly conspiring to obstruct the results of the 2020 election, those charges have been delayed due to appeals over Trump’s claims of presidential immunity. Judge Merchan stated that after consulting with U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who is presiding over the D.C. trial, they will move forward with jury selection on March 25th.
Outside the courtroom, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the trial and vowed to continue campaigning in the evenings. He criticized the trial as unfair and accused the other side of being incompetent. However, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg expressed satisfaction with the judge’s decision and looked forward to the trial next month.
The charges in the New York case stem from Trump’s alleged misclassification of reimbursement payments to Michael Cohen, his former lawyer and fixer. Cohen, now a vocal critic of Trump, paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2016. Bragg accuses Trump of reimbursing Cohen for that hush money through payments falsely labeled as legal fees, when they were, in fact, campaign expenses.
Cohen is expected to testify for the prosecution, although his credibility has been questioned due to his guilty plea in federal court for financial crimes and false statements. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records, a felony in New York. Bragg alleges that Trump’s scheme aimed to cover up violations of New York and federal campaign finance rules, with the $130,000 payment exceeding the federal campaign contribution cap.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denies any wrongdoing. He views the New York charges and the three other indictments he faces as politically motivated attempts to derail his White House candidacy. A conviction in the New York case would not bar him from running or holding office, but it would be a conviction that he could not pardon or erase since it is a state case.
As the hearing concluded, Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, once again objected to the late March trial date, arguing that it would prevent Trump from campaigning. However, Judge Merchan dismissed his objections and set the date for March 25th.
As Trump left the courtroom, a person in the back of the room clapped loudly, creating a brief moment of disturbance. The court officer quickly called for quiet, bringing an end to the hearing.
The stage is set for a historic trial that will captivate the nation’s attention and have significant implications for Trump’s future political ambitions. As jury selection approaches, the country awaits the start of a trial that will unfold against the backdrop of a presidential nominating season and a deeply divided political landscape.
