As the New York criminal trial of Donald Trump enters its second day, the first seven jurors have been selected to determine the outcome of this unprecedented case involving a former U.S. president.
These anonymous jurors will be presented with evidence regarding allegations that Trump was involved in a scheme with his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen to manipulate records in order to conceal reimbursements he made to Cohen. The payments were reportedly intended as hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with Trump prior to the 2016 election.
Trump has refuted any allegations of an affair with Daniels and entered a plea of not guilty. He has criticized the prosecutors, accusing them of pursuing the case for political motives.
From a pool of Manhattan residents, the jurors were selected on Tuesday after undergoing questioning about their political views, personal backgrounds, and media consumption habits to ensure impartiality. The final jury will consist of 12 jurors and six alternates. Here is what we know about the seven jurors chosen for the Trump trial so far:
Juror #1
Juror #1, a man hailing from Ireland and now residing in West Harlem, is employed in the sales sector. Serving as the foreperson, he finds solace in the outdoors and keeps up with current events through sources like the New York Times, the Daily Mail, Fox News, and MSNBC.
Juror #2
The second juror, a woman living on Manhattan's Upper East Side, works as an oncology nurse. She enjoys walking her dog and stays informed mainly through the New York Times, CNN, and Google. "I'm here for my civic duty. I'm here just to listen to the facts," she expressed during court proceedings on Tuesday.
Juror #3
Juror #3, a corporate lawyer originally from Oregon and now a resident of Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, relishes hiking and relies on The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Google for news. When asked about Trump's other charges, he admitted to not being well-versed in them, stating that he doesn't closely follow the news.
Juror #4
Coming from Puerto Rico, Juror #4 mentioned reading The New York Daily News and The New York Times, with "my family" being his hobby. An IT consultant, he described Trump as "fascinating and mysterious."
Juror #5
The fifth juror, a middle school English teacher, expressed her lack of interest in politics and news, relying on The New York Times and TikTok for information. Despite her friends having strong opinions about Trump, this Harlem resident remains neutral. When questioned by one of Trump's lawyers, she stated, "President Trump speaks his mind. I would rather that in a person than someone who's in office and you don't know what they're doing behind the scenes."
Juror #6
Juror #6, a software engineer from Chelsea, mentioned that she can approach Trump's case like any other trial. Her news sources include The New York Times and TikTok.
Juror #7
Living on the Upper East Side, Juror #7 works as a civil litigator and enjoys spending time outdoors with his children. He keeps up with news from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and The Washington Post. Additionally, he is a fan of the podcasts "Smartless" and "Car Talk."
