Juror excused from Trump hush money trial for impartiality concerns
The second day of former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial took an unexpected turn as one of the jurors selected and sworn in earlier this week was excused on Thursday morning. The juror, a woman who works as a nurse and resides on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, expressed concerns about her ability to be fair and impartial in the case.
After returning to court on Thursday, the juror stated that she had doubts about her ability to remain unbiased and believed that outside influences could interfere with her judgment. She also expressed concerns about her identity being reported on and ultimately decided that she could not fulfil her duties as a juror.
Judge Juan Merchan excused the jurors and issued a warning to the press about covering the trial, urging them to refrain from using physical descriptions and descriptors of jurors to ensure their safety. With the departure of this juror, six jurors have been sworn in, but twelve more are needed before opening arguments can begin.
Former President Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, related to alleged hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has criticized the trial as a political persecution. He is expected to testify during the trial, making him the first president in U.S. history to stand criminal trial.
Donald Trump hush money trial video
TRUMP: “I'm supposed to be in a lot of different places campaigning, but I've been here all day on a trial that really is a very unfair trial."
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 18, 2024
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