Live Updates: Trump Trial Poised to Begin, a Criminal Case Without Precedent

silence7@slrpnk.net to politics @lemmy.world – 147 points –
Live Updates: Trump Trial Poised to Begin, a Criminal Case Without Precedent
nytimes.com

The Washington Post also has live updates

Today is jury selection, so they'll be asking a lot of potential jurors about all the ways they could be biased or have a conflict of interest.

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Man I wish I could be a juror on this case. It seems like it would be hard to find an unbiased juror though, considering how publicized the case is and how galvanizing Trump's rhetoric has been around it.

I think at this point everyone has an opinion on Donald Trump, and particularly people living in Manhattan. The key question is whether they can find 12 people willing to put aside whatever opinions they have, and judge the case solely on what is presented in court.

Idk, you'd probably be getting death threats and and stalkers for a good while.

True... Maybe just a fly on the wall in the jury room then.

Out of 12 people, there's likely 1 that wears a maga hat... The jury will never reach a verdict if that's the case.

I'd fail 33. Is it like a mega crime to lie on that questionnaire?

A question so nice they asked it twice! I'd also fail #38

And the question about bias in an election year. Isn't that kind of the point? He committed the felonies in an effort to secure to 2016 election, so you disregard that because... He might do it again??

  1. Can you give us your assurance that you will decide this case solely on the evidence you see and hear in this courtroom and the law as the iudge gives it?

Yeah haha that's a tough one

More than half the jury pool said 'no' to that

The defendant's ironclad case when jury nullification walks in the room

Or in this case, whatever the opposite of that is

Thanks for posting the questionnaire. I don't think I'd pass it. I'm not sure anyone I know would pass it. I'd be tempted to answer a lot of those questions in a way the defense wouldn't like.

  1. Do you have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about whether a former president may be criminally charged in state court?

I have a strong opinion and firm belief that it is a miscarriage of justice that it has taken this long for Trump to be charged in any court.

Yea I'm more concerned about the type of person who actually makes it through the process. Anyone with any morals would be biased against him, and we all know who the type of person with no morals who would be fine with lying vote for.

I think my morals and ethics would let me answer "in the spirit" with which they are asked.

Some of the jury candidate descriptions listed by the Washington Post seem to get a little too close to outlining some people’s identities.

For example:

The ninth prospective juror is a social media marketer for Fan Duel, a sports betting app. She watches sports and reality television and her father, brother and boyfriend work in finance. She uses Goole, Facebook, X, TikTok and Instagram.

(Emphasis mine)

It’s not incredibly specific but it’s enough information for motivated persons to use. I mean, it only takes her LinkedIn or Facebook profile to state she’s in New York and works for Fan Duel. Next thing you know, she’ll be getting death threats.

The bookstore shopkeeper also sounds a little specific for comfort.

Without president

Today is jury selection, so they’ll be asking a lot of potential jurors about all the ways they could be biased or have a conflict of interest

We should do this with judges.

It's called voir dire, and it's more complicated than that. For a case this size the counsels will likely have done focus groups to see what traits, etc. tend to test well against the client. So yes, they are theoretically screening for biases, but the selection is ultimately up to both councils, so it's a balancing act of stacking the jury in your favor.

I hope some idiots show up in MAGA hats and immediately get dismissed

WDYM without precedent is this the first time this law has been applied?

A criminal trial against a former president is the unprecedented bit.

Since it's a former president, you could just say it's unpresidented.