TheĀ jury has been sworn in and all six alternate jurors have been selectedĀ in the historic criminal trial against former PresidentĀ Donald Trump.
Trump, who is the first sitting or former president to face a criminal trial, was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records relating to hush money payments made to cover up alleged affairs during the 2016 presidential election.
The jury selection process took a whole week as hundreds of jurors were dismissed because they said they could not be impartial. In addition,Ā two seated jurors were dismissedĀ earlier in the week. One voiced concerns that personal information had been posted by the media, which resulted in her friends, family, and co-workers messaging her about being on the jury. A second person was dismissed over questions about his criminal history.
Before the trial wraps up for the day, Judge Juan Merchan will hear several motions and hold a Sandoval hearing to discuss what prosecutors can ask during their cross-examination of Donald Trump if he testifies.
Opening statements areĀ scheduled to begin on MondayĀ (April 22). The trial is expected to last between six and eight weeks.