Jericka Duncan is a trusted source of news at CBS, and she has even uncovered that the public doubts that President Donald J. Trump will get a fair trial in New York City, according to her report from Day One of the historic criminal trial to âGet Trump.â
Duncan revealed in her report that more than half of the first panel of 96 potential jurors were excused after admitting they couldnât be fair or impartial regarding Donald Trumpâs trial.
This raised questions about whether Trump could receive a fair trial in New York City. Interviews with people in the city indicated skepticism, with concerns about political influences and Trumpâs high-profile status affecting the fairness of the trial.
Even individuals from outside the United States expressed doubts about Trump receiving a fair trial due to media portrayal. Overall, there is widespread doubt about the fairness of Trumpâs trial in New York City and elsewhere.
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Much of the concern is over the conflict of interest for the judge.
New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, who has previously presided over cases involving associates of Donald Trump, will play a central role in the hush money trial against the former president. Jury selection began Monday in this significant criminal prosecution, where Trump faces charges of illegally falsifying business records related to hush money payments made before the 2016 election.
Merchanâs handling of this trial will likely impact his extensive career in the state-level trial court.
The trial marks a historic moment as Trump becomes the first former US president to face criminal charges in court. This trial is particularly significant among the other four criminal cases he currently confronts as the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
This trial stands as the only case likely to be decided by a jury before the election, and a conviction could result in jail time for Trump.
Key takeaways from the first day of President Trumpâs hush money trial include:
- Difficulty in jury selection: Over half of the prospective jurors were dismissed due to concerns about impartiality. None had ties to Trump or Michael Cohen.
- Defense strategy to slow proceedings: The defense aims to preserve issues for appeal, leading to expected objections and sidebars. This aligns with Trumpâs broader legal tactic of delaying proceedings, particularly with the 2024 election looming.
- Alleged violation of gag order: Prosecutors seek sanctions against Trump for discussing case details in violation of a gag order. A hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday.
- Testimony allowance and evidentiary rulings: Actress Karen McDougal can testify about her alleged affair with Trump, and prosecutors can use National Enquirer stories criticizing Trumpâs opponents as evidence. However, the âAccess Hollywoodâ tape wonât be played in court, deemed prejudicial, and other post-tape sexual assault allegations against Trump wonât be introduced.
Independent media spent time Monday morning talking about the conflict of interest with Merchan, as reported by Laura Loomer.
Loomer posted what she said was evidence of a conflict of interest that Merchan is ignoring:
Over 50 potential jurors were dismissed due to concerns about fairness and impartiality.