By Chris Thompson
In what is termed the first criminal case of any U.S. president in history, seven New Yorkers have been selected to serve as jurors on former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial.
The process of selecting the jurors began on Monday afternoon and involved the judge, prosecutors, and Trump’s defence team, who whittled down an initial group of 96 potential jurors.
The potential jurors were asked a series of questions, ranging from their place of residence to their media consumption habits.
However, more than half of the initial group was immediately dismissed after indicating that they could not be fair or impartial, revealing the political divisiveness surrounding the trial.
Despite their selection, the jurors will remain anonymous to the press and the public, with only general descriptions of each juror available to reporters who observed the selection process.
The trial will require a total of 12 jurors, with at least six alternates, and is expected to last for six to eight weeks.
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Below is the breakdown of those chosen to serve on the trial so far.
1. First juror, foreperson
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. He will serve as the foreperson.
2. 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.
3. Third juror
A young to middle-aged Asian man who lives in Chelsea and grew up in Oregon. He is a corporate attorney.
4. Fourth juror
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 his child works in sales and research.
5. Fifth juror
A younger Black woman and Harlem native who has taught English Language and Arts for eight years. She has never been married and has no children, and she said she considers herself creative at heart.
6. Sixth juror
A Disney employee who was previously a student. She has three roommates and is unmarried without children.
7. Seventh juror
Lives on the Upper East Side but is originally from North Carolina. He is a civil litigator married with two children. He gets his news from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, The Washington Post, WNYC and listens to podcasts “SmartLess” and “Car Talk.”
