That case involved an associate of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon who was accused of defrauding a charity founded to help pay for a wall along the U.S. In the spring, another trial in a nearby federal courthouse ended in a mistrial because of tensions between jurors about political views. Getting a panel with an open mind, though, could be critical to avoiding a mistrial. The jury selection process could take several days, especially if people in the pool express reservations about their ability to be neutral. Bragg has taken a cautious approach with Trump, declining so far to bring charges against him personally in what’s now a three-year investigation.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg inherited the prosecution when he took office in January. A guilty verdict could hamper its ability to get loans and make deals. If convicted, the company could be fined more than $1 million. Trump has decried the probe as a “political witch hunt.” The company’s lawyers have said the Trump Organization played by the rules. The trial is expected to center on the actions and testimony of longtime Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty in August to accepting more than $1.7 million worth of untaxed perks from the company. The judge and lawyers in the case were looking to keep people off the jury if they have unshakably strong feelings about the Republican, who isn’t liked in his hometown. Trump himself isn’t on trial and isn’t expected to testify. Manhattan prosecutors say the Trump Organization helped top executives avoid income taxes on job perks such as rent-free apartments and luxury cars.
After a sufficient number of prospective jurors are screened, lawyers will be allowed to exclude more individuals from the panel to reach the final dozen jurors. Questioning of the first group of prospective jurors to sit in the jury box was to continue Tuesday morning, with lawyers from each side permitted to ask questions for 30 minutes. Yoke Chai, 60, the lone prospective juror among 18 who orally answered written questions in the afternoon to be excused from the jury pool, said as she left the courtroom that she told lawyers and the judge at a sidebar that she was not sure she could be unbiased in a case involving Trump. NEW YORK (AP) - Donald Trump’s company went on trial Monday in a criminal tax case and the first task facing the court was a big one: picking a jury of New Yorkers who didn’t have a strong opinion about the former president.Ībout half of an initial pool of 132 prospective jurors begged off the jury before formal questioning began, with some telling reporters outside the courtroom that they know they couldn’t be fair in a trial related to Trump.