Potential jurors in former President Donald Trump’s hush-money trial in New York City spoke to the media shortly after being excused from the pool, highlighting the “serious” atmosphere in the courtroom.
“It’s definitely serious,” Kara McGee, a former potential juror who works in the cybersecurity field, said Tuesday. She said, “…regardless of what people thought about the defendants, everyone was genuinely trying to step in here and do their civic duty.”
McGee said he had told the court he could serve as an impartial juror, but in comments to the media he said: “I don’t think anyone who actually lives in this country should go into this case without their prior input.” “It will be very difficult,” he said.
“Unless we live in a cardboard box, we all have a prior opinion about the defendant,” she said. McGee was excluded as a potential juror because her schedule conflicted with her job in the cybersecurity field, she said.
“I’m not a fan,” McGee added of her personal thoughts about Trump. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, I lived with someone who was immunocompromised, and I think his response to COVID-19 was terrible,” she said. .
Live updates: Trump hush money trial enters second day as jury selection continues
Kara McGee speaks to media members outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 in New York. McGee was excused from serving on the jury in the criminal trial against former President Donald Trump because of his cybersecurity job. She can’t take time off from her job for that long. (Fox News Digital Probe Media)
The trial began Monday with 96 jurors, but about 50 were excused on the first day because they said the case was unfair. Nine more people were removed on Monday for other reasons. Of these candidates, an estimated 35 candidates remained as of Tuesday morning, of which 14 had been eliminated by early Tuesday afternoon.
Trump criticizes “conflicting” judge as second day of hush money trial begins; “I hate Trump.”
McGee said two of the questions asked of potential jurors most clearly indicated how they felt about Trump and the case.
“One of them is, “Do you have an opinion on whether a former sitting president should be tried in court?” I think people’s answers to that question reflect how they feel about this case.” she said.
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“The other question was, “Do you have any opinions about legal limits on campaign contribution amounts?” I think this was also meant to gauge feelings about a particular incident,” she said. Told.
McGee said she made eye contact with Trump when she was excused from trial.
“After I finished my final answer, I looked at him…I glanced at him again and made eye contact with him, and I don’t know what he was thinking at that moment.” she said of her interactions with Trump.
A courtroom sketch depicts the second day of former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Manhattan Criminal Court. Jury selection in the hush money scandal is still underway. (Kristin Cornell)
Tuesday was the second day of trial in the hush money case, the first time a former president has gone on trial on criminal charges.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced last year that Trump had been indicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The charges allege that during the 2016 campaign, Mr. Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, allegedly contacted former porn actor Stormy Daniels to silence her claims that she had an affair with Mr. Trump in 2006. It all stems from paying him $130,000.
Kara McGee speaks to media members outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 in New York. McGee was excused from serving on the jury in the criminal trial against former President Donald Trump because of his cybersecurity job. She can’t take time off from her job for a long time. (Fox News Digital Probe Media)
Trump calls hush money trial officially starting ‘an attack on America’
Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen for payments made to Daniels and falsely recorded the payments as legal fees. Prosecutors are working to prove that President Trump falsified his records with the intent to commit or commit a crime. concealing a second crime, which is a felony;
President Trump has repeatedly denied having an affair and maintains his innocence.
President Trump spoke to the media before entering the courtroom on Tuesday morning, denouncing Chief Justice Juan Melchán as a “conflicted” judge.
Trump trial: Juror admits to saying jury selection was not fair, resumes trial
A courtroom sketch shows former President Donald Trump before Judge Juan Marchan in Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday, April 15, 2024. Trump previously faced charges stemming from so-called “hush money” payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Until the 2016 presidential election. (Kristin Cornell)
President Trump said, “We have a judge who hates President Trump. We have a judge who should not be involved in this case. He is completely opposed to it. But this is a case that should never have happened. It happened a long time ago.” It should have been abolished.” Tuesday morning.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media in Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday, April 15, 2024 in New York, United States. Jury selection begins Monday in Trump’s criminal trial, where he faces 34 felony counts of falsifying court records. An alleged plot to silence allegations of extramarital sexual encounters during the 2016 presidential campaign. (Michael Nagle/New York Post/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“This is a case that has been watched and watched all over the world. … They are investigating it and analyzing it. All legal experts, all legal scholars, this case is a disgrace. ” he added.
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The trial is expected to last at least six weeks, with jury selection at least a week.
