Prospective jurors in the case against former President Donald Trump will be required to state out loud whether they are part of QAnon, Proud Boys, or Antifa, the New York Post reported.
Before the jury selection begins on April 15, the potential jurors must answer 42 questions. While the Manhattan residents will not be directly asked about their political affiliations, they will be asked a number of questions that could reveal which way they lean.
An order issued Monday by Acting Justice Juan Merchan revealed that prospective jurors will be asked what news outlets they watch or read, as well as whether they have ever attended a Trump campaign, event, or rally. Additionally, they must share whether they follow any pro-Trump or “anti-Trump” groups on social media, the Post reported.
Potential jurors will be required to state whether they “have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about former President Donald Trump” that could hinder their ability to make a “fair and impartial” judgment in the case.
Merchan acknowledged that would-be jurors’ political party affiliation “may easily be gleaned from the responses to the other questions.” However, neither Trump’s legal team nor Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office may boot jurors based solely on their political views. According to Merchan, attorneys on either side will have unlimited opportunities to remove jurors based on “cause” or if they have a “state of mind that is likely to preclude them from rendering an impartial verdict based upon the evidence.”
Additionally, attorneys on both sides will be allotted a certain number of “peremptory challenges,” which allows them to remove jurors without providing a specific reason.
In April 2023, Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in what prosecutors allege was an attempt to cover up payments made ahead of the 2016 election to stop porn star Stormy Daniels from speaking publicly about an extramarital affair. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which carry a maximum of four years in prison.
Last week, Trump’s legal team requested Merchan’s recusal, arguing that his daughter’s political activities demonstrate “actual conflict” and an “unacceptable appearance of impropriety.” A New York appeals court rejected the bid. Merchan previously placed a gag order against Trump, preventing the former president from making statements about any individuals involved in the case, including the judge’s daughter.
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