Special Poll
Next week, Donald Trump will become the first former U.S. president to stand trial in a criminal case while also being the presumptive Republican nominee for president.
The trial is set to commence with jury selection on Monday in New York City, anticipated to last between six and eight weeks overall.
Key Details of the Upcoming Trial:
Duration of Jury Selection: The selection process is expected to take one to two weeks. Lawyers from both sides will sift through potentially hundreds of candidates to establish a final jury of 12 members and six alternates. Jurors will face 42 questions aimed at determining their impartiality towards the highly divisive figure. These questions will probe their media consumption habits, participation in Trump-related events, and other factors that could affect their neutrality. The identities of the jurors will remain anonymous due to security concerns.
Charges Faced by Trump: Trump has been indicted on 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison. The charges were brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Allegations Against Trump: The prosecution claims that Trump “systematically and deceitfully falsified New York business records to cover up criminal actions that concealed detrimental information from voters during the 2016 presidential campaign.” Central to the case are allegations related to hush money payments aimed at suppressing information about alleged sexual encounters, notably a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to prevent her from discussing an alleged 2006 encounter with Trump. Trump has denied these allegations.
Trump’s Defense Strategy: Trump asserts his innocence, acknowledging that he reimbursed his lawyer Michael Cohen for payments made, but claims ignorance about the details of Cohen’s actions. His defense team is expected to challenge the credibility of Cohen, depicting him as a disgruntled liar with animosity towards Trump. They are also likely to scrutinize Daniels’ credibility, highlighting her critical remarks about Trump to portray her as biased.
As jury selection begins, this high-profile trial will undoubtedly draw national attention, intertwining legal proceedings with political implications as Trump campaigns for re-election.