The historic first criminal trial ever against a former President of the United States started with emphatic energy as dozens of prospective jurors, more than 50, were dismissed from the first pool during the jury selection process on Monday. According to various reports, most said they felt they could not hear the case fairly or impartially and were denied the running of the 12-seat jury.
Full stop CNN and other news outlets reported Trump seemingly nodded off during day one of the trial’s jury selection process. He reportedly fell asleep. You can’t make this up.
This underscores the scathing reality of finding not only an adequate but also an impartial jury during easily one of the most high-profile criminal cases in this country’s history.
Get this: at least nine more jurors were excused after saying they could not serve for any other reason. That left about 34 of the 96 potential jurors from the first pool, this from reporters inside the courtroom as cameras are not allowed in New York hearings. One juror said, “I just couldn’t do it,” from the hallway outside the courtroom.
The remaining members of the first pool must fill out a questionnaire about how they consume media and the news, along with their habits for such indulgence, where they reside, and whether they have a relative or have ever volunteered or worked for the Trump campaign, as well as a host of other inquiries.
As you can imagine, attorneys from both sides will scrutinize the remaining candidates. They will also review their social media profiles and ask more personal questions to search for potential bias against or for the polarizing defendant.
“You really don’t want jurors who bring something to the table, other than the fact that they have a general understanding Trump was the president,” said Joshua Naftalis, a former federal prosecutor in New York and now a partner at Pallas, who told Axios.
Whoever they seat to be jurors, along with the alternates, is in for one heck of a ride in the first of four criminal trials Trump is facing.
