The jury is in place in the hush money trial against former President Donald Trump: After around three days of questioning, the prosecution, defense and judge Juan Merchan agreed on twelve jurors, as journalists present in the courtroom unanimously reported. A replacement juror has already been found. Now around five more replacement candidates should be sought before the opening statements could possibly begin on Monday, as Judge Merchan explained. It is the first criminal trial against an ex-president in US history.
The jury selection had previously been difficult. Two jurors who had already been selected on Tuesday were released. One woman was worried that her identity would become public. One man had doubts about the credibility of some of his statements. At the start of the trial, dozens of candidates immediately stated that they did not feel able to reach a fair verdict and were then immediately released.
Hush money payments to porn actress
The case against Trump involves hush money payments to a porn actress. The public prosecutor’s office accuses him of falsifying business documents. The Republican, who wants to move back into the White House in November, has pleaded not guilty.
According to the court, the process could take up to eight weeks. If convicted, the 77-year-old could face a prison sentence of several years, but this could also be suspended. Trump would also have the opportunity to appeal. Even after a possible conviction – and even in the event of a prison sentence – Trump is likely to continue running in the presidential election.
The background to the case is that Trump had $130,000 in hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016, shortly before his election as president. She had claimed to have had sex with him. Trump denies an affair, but does not deny that money was flowed. Non-disclosure agreements between two parties are not inherently illegal. However, Trump is accused of illegally recording the payments, trying to conceal them illegally and thereby trying to cover up other violations of the law.