Following the seating of 12 jurors for the hush money/ election interference trial of the Malignant Loser/ Don Snoreleone, much faster than "experts" had predicted, it appears increasingly likely that the trial will begin with opening arguments on Monday:
At 4:34 p.m. on Thursday, a jury of 12 citizens was selected to determine the fate of an indicted former president for the first time in American history, a moment that could shape the nation’s political and legal landscapes for generations to come.
The dozen New Yorkers will sit in judgment of Donald J. Trump, the 45th president turned criminal defendant, who has been accused of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal. If the jurors convict Mr. Trump, he could face up to four years in prison, even as he seeks to reclaim the White House as the presumptive Republican nominee.
“We have our jury,” Justice Juan M. Merchan proclaimed as the 12th juror was added.
He then swore the seven men and five women to an oath that they would render a fair and impartial verdict, which they accepted with sober expressions as Mr. Trump stared from the defense table. The jurors could hear opening arguments as soon as Monday. [snip]
The final 12 were a collection of Manhattanites as eclectic as the city itself. They are Black, Asian, white, male, female, middle-aged and young, including one woman in her first job out of college. They work in finance, education, health care and the law. And they live, among other places, in Harlem, Chelsea, the Upper East Side and Murray Hill.
One alternate was also picked before court adjourned. The judge plans to conclude jury selection on Friday, when the lawyers will select the remaining five alternates.
Judge Merchan is a no- nonsense jurist who's not intimidated by the Malignant Loser and his threats, both veiled and outright. He's scheduled a hearing Tuesday to hear arguments on whether the Malignant Loser violated his gag order (spoiler alert: he did):
In addition to picking a jury, lawyers have been sparring in the courtroom this week over whether Trump has repeatedly violated a gag order by making public comments and social media posts related to witnesses and others Merchan has said should be protected.
That discussion led to an extraordinary exchange late Thursday in which Trump’s lawyer pledged to keep his client from posting about witnesses and the judge said he did not think that was possible.
On the first day of the trial, prosecutors asked for Trump to be held in contempt and fined $1,000 for each of what they said were three violations. Before juror candidates came into the courtroom Thursday, prosecutors alleged that Trump had violated his gag order “seven more times” in recent days by repeatedly highlighting articles and tweets disparaging the credibility of Michael Cohen, a key government witness who was once Trump’s lawyer and fixer, and that of the jurors selected on the second day of the trial. They are seeking another $7,000 in penalties.
Prosecutors specifically cited Trump’s post on his social media site Truth Social of a quote from Fox News anchor Jesse Watters speculating that some of the prospective jurors are “undercover Liberal Activists lying to the judge in order to get on the Trump jury.”
Trump’s attorneys said the post did not violate the order. The judge has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday morning to discuss the issue...
The Malignant Loser's threats and intimidation tactics have also caused Judge Merchan to deny the defense request for a preview of the prosecution's witness list, proving once again that having the Malignant Loser as a client is a lawyer's worst nightmare.
(Photo: Don Snoreleone in the dock; sad! / Jabin Botsford, pool, Getty Images)
