NEW YORK (AP) – It took just three days to empanel a 12-person jury in the tax fraud trial of Donald Trump’s company – surprising even some people involved in the case who thought it would take at least a week to find an unbiased panel. in very democratic New York City.
Five of the jurors were sworn in Thursday, joining seven who were selected Tuesday. Six substitutes still need to sit. That process is starting again Thursday and Friday with a second set of potential jurors, but attorneys say they are on track for opening statements Monday.
The eight men and four women selected so far emerged from a rigorous process, including a 32-part questionnaire and one individual question, designed to weed out candidates with unwavering opinions about the former Republican president and his company, the Trump Organization. .
The selected jurors were among the least vocal about Trump. Some admitted they had opinions about him and his leadership, but vowed to set aside any personal opinions and consider only the evidence presented during the trial, which is taking place in state court in Manhattan.
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan has said the case — which involves allegations that the Trump Organization helped some top executives avoid income taxes on compensation they received in addition to their salaries — is likely to last about six weeks, meaning it could to end in December.
Trump himself is not on trial and he is not expected to testify, but his name is sure to come up a lot.
Trump signed some of the checks in question in this case. His name appears in memos and other evidence. Another lawyer for the company, Alan Futerfas, said he expected some witnesses to testify about conversations they had with Trump.
Trump Organization attorney William J. Brennan referred to the absent Trump as “fog in the room.”
Prosecutors have said they don’t need to prove Trump knew about the kickback scheme to get a conviction.
They argue that the Trump Organization is partially responsible because former CFO Allen Weisselberg, who has pleaded guilty to receiving $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation, was a “senior management agent” entrusted to act on behalf of of the company.
Weisselberg, whose perks included apartment rentals, luxury cars and school tuition for his grandchildren, has agreed to testify as part of a plea deal that also includes several months in prison.
“This case is not about Donald Trump,” said Attorney General Susan Hoffinger.
As swift as jury selection has been, the process has also underscored how hard it is to find someone without at least something to say about Trump — especially in Manhattan, where 87% of voters in the 2020 election went with his rival. Democrat, Joe. Biden.
The challenge for defense attorneys, prosecutors and Merchan has been figuring out which opinions are harmless, which are disqualifying, and where to draw the line.
One juror made the cut after saying he thought Trump was “being a bit crazy” and narcissistic as president.
Merchan reasoned that the man’s negative opinions of Trump were limited to his presidency and did not include issues relevant to the case, such as his work as a businessman and his company. He denied the defense’s request to strike the man for cause, and the defense chose not to use one of its peremptory challenges.
Other decisions were clearer.
A woman who said “Trump continues to lie to the American people that he won the 2020 election” and another woman who gave glowing endorsements of Trump and his company were both removed from consideration.
Then there was Noah Passer, a worker’s compensation attorney whose brutal honesty in revealing how he views Trump led to a quick agreement between prosecutors and lawyers for the Trump Organization that he was unfit for the jury.
“I absolutely hate it. I think he is a liar, a con artist and a bully. He is a danger to our democracy, international stability and potentially humanity with his environmental policies,” Passer said during questioning in open court. “I think his university was a sham. His charity was a sham. He has trouble with the truth.”
Brennan, the Trump Organization lawyer, was so eager to send Passer home that he messed up his notes and began arguing against him while another jury was still being considered. By the time they reached Passer, the parties had agreed on the 12 jurors who had been seated, meaning he would be considered as the first alternate.
Brennan called Passer “probably the most impetuous, openly hostile lawyer” in the pool and said it was a “no-brainer” that he be removed.
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