Donald Trump appeared this Tuesday, April 16, in a Manhattan court, where the trial against him for “silent payments” continues and doubt continues about the jury that will form it. The former US president is charged with 34 state felonies related to falsifying business records. The former president denounces that this trial harms his interests in the presidential campaign, since he should be addressing the masses in the state of Pennsylvania
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The trial against former US president and re-election candidate Donald Trump continues in New York, marked by the selection of a jury that will rule if the former president is guilty of 34 crimes for falsification of commercial records.
Five more potential jurors were discarded this Tuesday, April 16, as lawyers try to elect a panel of 12 Manhattan residents, a Democratic-majority district, to form an impartial party in the case.
So far, it has not been easy: choosing 12 jurors is a titanic process due to the polarization that exists around the figure of Trump, so the process could last up to two weeks.
Approximately half of the 96 potential jurors summoned on Monday were dismissed after stating that they could not impartially judge the magnate.
As for the people dismissed this Tuesday, they said that they had scheduling conflicts, that they were worried about combining jury service with their jobs or that They had reflected more during the night and they had come to the conclusion that they could not be impartial.
Trump, now also a Republican presidential candidate, wanted to silence with payments, which amount to $130,000to adult film star Stormy Daniels, executed through her then-lawyer, before the 2016 election.
The former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges, alleging that The accusation is part of “a political persecution”, intended to prevent him from occupying the White House again.
The case is the first of four criminal cases against Trump that will go to trial.
Impeachment?
Speaking to reporters before entering the courtroom, Trump said it was unfair that he was at the trial instead of on the campaign trail.
“This is a trial that should never have happened,” Trump said.
The candidate is convinced that this case responds to “political persecution”, as he himself cited, to prevent him from entering through the front door of the Oval Office again.
In fact, he says Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is an extreme Democrat. The prosecutor was in charge of pointing out the 34 serious crimes against Trump. For his part, Daniels admitted having a sexual encounter with Trump about a decade earlier.
And to the trial, for events that took place some time ago, other parallels are now added.
Thus, now prosecutors are also trying to hold Trump responsible for his conduct during the process. On Monday, they asked Judge Juan Merchan to fine Trump $1,000 for each of the three social media posts. this month, in which he criticized Daniels and Michael Cohen, the former Trump fixer who is expected to be a prominent witness in the trial.
Under a gag order imposed by Merchan, Trump is prohibited from making statements about witnesses, court staff and family members who intend to interfere in the case.
Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, said the former president was only responding to criticism leveled at him.
Merchan said he will study the fines on April 23.
With Reuters, AP and local media
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