Donald Trump was back in court for day three of his hush money trial in New York on Thursday, where jury selection continued and the day ended with 12 jurors and one alternate selected to hear evidence in the historic criminal trial brought against him by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg.
The day began with a step backwards as two of the seven jurors confirmed on Tuesday had to be excused over concerns regarding the possibility of their being identified and their impartiality.
Judge Juan Merchan has been hopeful that the process could be completed by the end of the week with opening statements to begin on Monday. That looked unlikely at one stage on Thursday morning, before the pace picked up in the afternoon and a full panel was ultimately chosen.
Five more alternates are needed on Friday and another panel of 96 potential jurors has been sworn in for the session.
Mr Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election to ensure her silence about an alleged affair in 2006.
He denies the affair and has pleaded not guilty.
New York hush money trial: Panel of 12 jurors sworn in on chaotic day three
The panel of 12 Manhattan residents who will ultimately decide the fate of former president Donald Trump in his New York criminal trial have now been seated after a chaotic day in court yesterday.
After three days of jury selection, in which hundreds of New Yorkers were called to the New York Criminal Court, sworn in and asked personal questions, the majority of jury selection concluded on Thursday – with a panel of five women and seven men sworn in.
One alternate has also been seated, with five more needed to complete the full panel of 18: 12 jurors and six alternates.
Ariana Baio watched events unfold in court for The Independent yesterday and offers this recap.
Joe Sommerlad19 April 2024 09:15
Truth Social: Trump cries ‘election interference’ (again) and calls on Europe to deliver more Ukraine aid
Trump’s defence team was informed yesterday they would not be told in advance who the prosecution’s witnesses are in the hush money trial to prevent their client posting about them on Truth Social, a point that led to an argument between Judge Merchan and Todd Blanche and left Trump huffing in his seat.
You can see why, given that he posted this last night about the ongoing proceedings.
His other big contribution yesterday was complaining that Europe should pay more in aid to Ukraine, perhaps indirectly attempting to relieve some of the pressure on House speaker Mike Johnson over his latest spending bill, which has been received with huge anger from the MAGA wing of the Republican Party, led by witchfinder-general Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Joe Sommerlad19 April 2024 08:45
In depth: Can these ex-Trump voters swing it for Biden?
Conventional political wisdom regarding Donald Trump states that the people who voted for him in 2016 and 2020 aren’t likely to go for any Democrat this time around — especially not Joe Biden.
But a prominent group of anti-Trump Republicans believes those two-time Trump voters are best positioned to convince others in the GOP to vote to re-elect Biden. And they’re ready to spend big to do so.
Oliver O’Connell19 April 2024 08:00
Mutiny brews for Mike Johnson as hard-liners threaten to join motion to oust him
The growing anger among Mike Johnson’s Republican caucus over his bill to send aid to Ukraine spilled into public view on Thursday as more conservatives threatened to join a motion to oust the speaker from his role.
John Bowden reports from Washington, DC:
Oliver O’Connell19 April 2024 06:00
Who in Congress isn’t seeking re-election in 2024?
If a presidential election year wasn’t enough in Washington DC, this year will also see a lot of new faces in Congress, as many members have decided to not seek re-election, with many citing frustration with the chambers’ productivity as their reason for stepping down.
Eight Senators and 44 Representatives have announced their intentions to step down from their current post in 2024, with some running for different elected positions and others leaving politics altogether. Some of those could still run for their current seats if they do not win primary elections.
The mass Congressional exodus includes several controversial seats, which could alter the control of each chamber and numerous Committee chairs.
Kelly Rissman19 April 2024 04:00
Biden jokes he ‘looks 40’ as Kennedy family endorses 2024 campaign
Joe Biden joked that he “looks like he’s 40” as he delivered a campaign speech in Philadelphia, where the Kennedy political family endorsed his re-election campaign. “I know I look like I’m 40 but I’ve been doing this a long time, but I’ve never been more optimistic about our future,” the president told supporters. Their backing is a rebuke of Robert F Kennedy Jr’s independent bid for office. Mr Kennedy’s sister, Kerry Kennedy, praised Mr Biden as “a champion for all the rights and freedoms that my father and uncles stood for.”
Oliver O’Connell19 April 2024 03:00
Trump aides lose bid to dismiss charges related to classified documents hoarded at Mar-a-Lago
Carlos De Oliveira and Walt Nauta were charged with multiple counts of the obstruction of justice alongside Mr Trump last year.
The two men had sought to have the charges dismissed. On Thursday a Florida judge denied them:
Read the full story here:
Mike Bedigan19 April 2024 02:30
Might a stealth juror derail Trump’s trial?
Alex Woodward and Gustaf Kilander write:
Jurors are supposed to be impartial. A number of prospective jurors have been dismissed from the proceedings simply because they felt they could not be neutral while sitting in judgment of the former president.
Oliver O’Connell19 April 2024 02:00
Watch: Trump rages that ‘crook’ Biden should be on trial
Oliver O’Connell19 April 2024 01:30
In latest snub to RFK Jr, Kennedy family officially endorses Biden
At least 15 members of the storied Kennedy political family, which has produced a president, two senators, and multiple House members since the 1950s, officially endorsed President Joe Biden for re-election at a campaign event on Thursday – in what marks perhaps their biggest snub to Robert F Kennedy Jr to date.
Introducing the president to the stage at the Martin Luther King Jr Recreation Centre in Philadelphia, Kerry Kennedy – the niece of late president John F Kennedy and sister of RFK Jr – made it clear that the family sees “only two candidates with any chance of winning the presidency”: Mr Biden and former president Donald Trump.
“In 2024, there are only two candidates with any chance of winning the presidency,” she said.
Oliver O’Connell19 April 2024 01:00
