Update - 5:45 pm Eastern:
A seventh juror was selected from that last group of six questioned Tuesday afternoon.
Court has now adjourned for the day (and will resume on Thursday). Given the relative speed with which jurors have been selected thus far, it appears likely that jury selection will wrap up late Thursday or Friday.
Update - 5:40 pm Eastern:
There have been some more interesting exchanges between the prospective jurors and the attorneys, and a couple more jurors were dismissed for cause.
...now Trump lawyer Blanche asks B352, What do you think of President Trump?
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) April 16, 2024
B352: That's a loaded question. There's a lot of history there. There are things I disagree with, and there were things I think were done well in his presidency.
Seat 6: Oh, I remember the Central Park... But I'm interested how he stirs people up. It's up to the jury. This isn't showmanship. This is real life. A man's life is on the line. The country is on the line. I have a public access show about Harlem.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) April 16, 2024
The jurors were asked to step out while the parties confer regarding additional challenges.
Update - 4:09 pm Eastern:
The next batch of jurors is being sworn in for questioning. They will then be dismissed and required to return Thursday morning to begin the voir dire. The remaining six jurors from the original panel will be questioned for the remainder of Tuesday afternoon.
A quick summary of where things stand at present:
- Six jurors have been seated on the jury.
- By the end of jury selection, the jury will have 12 members, as well as alternatives. Judge Juan Merchan said he thinks there will be six alternatives, but they could land on a different number, if needed.
- Donald Trump's team has used six of his 10 preemptive challenges.
- The district attorney's office has used four of its 10 challenges.
Update - 3:45 pm Eastern:
After strikes for cause and peremptory strikes, six jurors have been selected from the initial batch of jurors questioned and are being sworn in. Presently, Judge Merchan intends to have them return on Monday. (There will be no court — at least regarding this case — on Wednesday. They will return Thursday morning to proceed with jury selection.)
Here's what we know about the jurors who have been seated:
First juror: A man who is originally from Ireland and now lives in West Harlem. He works in sales and gets his news from The New York Times, the Daily Mail, Fox News and MSNBC.
Second juror: A woman who is a native New Yorker and has been an oncology nurse for 15 years. She spends her free time with family and friends and taking her dog to the park.
Third juror: A young to middle-aged Asian man who lives in Chelsea and grew up in Oregon. He is a corporate attorney.
...
The first juror in this round is a middle-aged man born in Puerto Rico who has lived on the Lower East side for more than 40 years. He told the court he has “no spare time” for hobbies and is self-employed. His wife is a writer and child works in sales and research.
The second juror, a younger Black woman, is a Harlem native who has taught English Language and Arts (ELA) for eight years. She has never been married and has no children, and considers herself a creative at heart.
And the third juror is a Disney employee who was previously a student. She has three roommates and is unmarried without children.
Update 3:00 pm Eastern:
After (prospective) Juror No. 1 was questioned and the Trump team's request to strike her for cause denied, (prospective) Juror No. 2 was brought in to be questioned regarding a social media post that included the phrase, "Lock him up!" in relation to Trump. The judge granted that strike for cause.
Justice Merchan: I found her explanations credible. There is nothing offensive. I wasn't sure you'd given me the right thing. I observed her and found her credible.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) April 16, 2024
[Trump is whispering with his other lawyer Emil Bove]
Justice Merchan: The challenge is denied.
Justice Merchan: Celebrating the end of the travel ban was one thing. But expressing a desire that Donald Trump be locked up? This case counsel result in jail time, that is, lock up. So I will excuse this juror for cause. Next?
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) April 16, 2024
Update - 2:35 pm Eastern:
Following a lunch break, the parties are back in the courtroom to take up their peremptory strikes (jurors they seek to have stricken from the panel, but not for cause). Each said has 10 peremptory strikes. While the prosecutors declined to use any of theirs, Trump's team is asking to have (prospective) Juror No. 1 stricken for cause, noting a Facebook post from 2020 in which she appears to be joining in the celebration of Trump's election loss.
The juror is being called in for further questioning.
Update - 12:53 pm Eastern:
There are some fascinating exchanges going on between Trump attorney Todd Blanche and prospective jurors. Blanche is trying to press to suss out any predisposed opinions that would prevent jurors from giving the former president a fair shake in the trial. A sampling below:
Blanche: Next. You're an attorney. What are your views of President Trump?
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) April 16, 2024
A: I was a fan of The Apprentice when I was in middle school at the time.
Blanche: Next, you say you use Facebook. What's your view of President Trump?
A: I disagree with several policies
Blanche: You became a citizen, does it impact your view?
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) April 16, 2024
292: I became a citizen in 2017, his first year. I am grateful
Blanche: Next, what's your view?
A: I find him fascinating. He just sets people off.
Blanche: Uh, alright... Next?
A: There's little we agree on
Blanche: I know it's difficult to talk openly, President Trump is right here, but-
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) April 16, 2024
Juror: I'm a person of color. Not to cut you off. This is the case, that's it.
Blanche: B297?
B297: We have different views, that's fine. It's a person on trial
The prospective jurors have been excused while the parties review their potential strikes.
Update - 12:22 pm Eastern:
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass wrapped his initial questioning of the prospective jurors before the court took a brief recess.
He asked jurors if they had a problem finding a witness credible if they “have baggage,” like Michael Cohen, a star witness who previously pleaded guilty to lying to Congress.
Steinglass concluded his questioning by going down the line to get assurances from each of the 18 that they would feel comfortable finding Trump guilty.
Following a 10-minute break, Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, is now questioning the prospective jurors.
Update - 11:50 am Eastern:
With 18 prospective jurors seated "in the box," the prosecution is now asking more specific questions of them as the voir dire process continues.
Update - 11:25 am Eastern:
Prospective jurors continue to be questioned, with nine having been excused thus far. This exchange prompted another chuckle:
Another prospective juror asked whether a wedding in September could pose a problem.
Judge Juan Merchan said jokingly that if we're still here in September it's a "big problem."
Update - 10:43 am Eastern:
Several prospective jurors have been excused after indicating they do not feel they can be fair and impartial or that they have scheduling conflicts.
The jurors are reading aloud their answers to the 42-question survey as Trump follows along, flipping through the questionnaire.
Update - 10:15 am Eastern:
The questioning of prospective jurors is underway after a brief delay in which a couple of the jurors were late and another indicated she was sick and was excused. Another prospective juror has informed the court he does not feel he can be impartial and is being excused.
New Seat 10: I review Social Security cases. 34? No. 42? No.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) April 16, 2024
Justice Merchant: Thank you.
Seat 11: I don't think I can be impartial.
Judge Merchant: We're going to excuse you. Let's refill Seat 11, please.
Clerk: Re-filling seat 11, B311.
Update - 9:45 am Eastern:
Ordinarily, we'd forego an update of this sort, but this one's too fun not to share. Are you ready? Trump winked at court officers on his way into the courtroom.
Donald Trump entered the courtroom at 9:30 a.m. ET, according to pool reports. While he walked down the aisle, he winked at one of the court officers and mouthed, “How are you?”
Update - 9:33 am Eastern:
Former President Trump starts the day with some harsh criticisms regarding the trial and the judge.
Trump also addressed the cameras and reporters outside the courtroom briefly before heading in to begin the day's proceedings, noting that he should be out campaigning rather than sitting in a courtroom all day.
“I should be right now in Pennsylvania, in Florida, in many other states, in North Carolina, Georgia, campaigning. This is all coming form the Biden White House because the guy an’t put two sentences together,” Trump said.
Watch the coverage via live stream:
Tuesday marks the second day of trial for former President Donald Trump in Manhattan on the "hush money" case brought by District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Monday saw a host of preliminary motions heard and ruled on, followed by the start of jury selection, with 96 prospective jurors brought in for the initial round of questioning, many of whom were excused from service (for cause) after indicating they did not believe they could be fair and impartial or that they had other substantive conflicts. The questioning of prospective jurors will continue today and may take up to a week or longer before the 12 jurors and six alternates are seated.
Stay tuned here as we bring you live updates of the day's developments in the case.
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