Trump's trial in NY starts with jury picks

Conviction could bring probation or up to four years in prison, experts say

By: Aysha Bagchi,
Eduardo Cuevas
David Jackson
Bart Jansen
and Anna Kaufman
USA Today

NEW YORK - After warring cases and deadlines and delays and attempts to delay, the first criminal trial of a former American president began Monday. [04/15/2024]
..... Wearing his signature blue suit and rad tie, Donald Trump, 77, sat expressionless at the defense table with his attorneys while photographers snapped his picture. Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the trial, entered about half an hour late.
..... The presumptive Republican presidential nominee faces 24 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business records to disguise a hush money payment to a pron star and unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election.
..... Trump lost a flurry of motions and appeals in recent days seeking to delay the proceedings. But unlike in his three other criminal cases, which deal with allegation that he tried to steal the 2020 presidential election and mishandled classified documents, delay tactics didn't let him avoid the start of the New York trial.
..... The court has estimated they the trial, which will not be televised, will last six to eight weeks. jury selection alone could last several days or even weeks.
..... As the day began, Trump continued to make political hay. Before entering the building Monday, [04/15/2024] he gave a one-minute statement to reporters alleging without evidence that the trial is "political persecution" and "an assault on America." He cited unnamed legal scholars calling the case "nonsense."
..... "It's a case that should have never been brought," Trump said, adding, "I'm very honored to be here."
..... Minutes later, his campaign tested out solicitations for donations, saying 'I'M IN COURT NOW!" in all caps. "They're trying to DESTROY ME - BUT YOU CAN STOP THEM!"
..... The former president has long said the criminal charges against him are targeting his reelection campaign, through there;s no evidence of that.
..... The trial will feature some salacious allegations. Prosecutors say Trump falsified records to conceal that he was reimbursing his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for a 4130,000 hush money payment to pron star Stormy Denials. Denials said she had sex with the real estate mogul shortly after his wife, Melania trump, gave birth to their son. Trump denies Danial's claim and has pleaded not guilty.
..... The charges are felonies, as opposed to misdemeanors, because prosecutors say Trump falsified the records in order to conceal violating federal election laws through a payment that was meant to help his 2016 campaign but exceeded campaign contribution limits.
..... Though the case is regarded by some legal experts as the least consequential of the four criminal prosecutions Trump faces, it is the only one guaranteed to go to trial before the November 5 [2024] election. Reuters/Ipsos polling shows a guilty verdict could hobble his prospects.
..... If Trump were convicted, many legal experts have said a realistic sentence ranges from probation to four years in prison, although Trump would likely remain free on appeal during the duration of the election.

Early rulings

..... Within minutes, Merchan denied Trump's second bid to have the judge recuse himself form the case on the basis that his daughter's work for a political consulting firm with Democratic clients poses a conflict of interest.
..... In rejecting that argument, Merchan cited an opinion form the state Advisory Committee on Judicial ethics that Merchan's impartiality couldn't reasonably questioned based on his daughter's work because Trump's case doesn't involve her business.
..... "The court will not address this matter further," Merchan said Monday. [04/15/2024]
..... Merchan also addressed a series of issues about testimony and evidence. The judge tentatively rule that Melania Trump's pregnancy during a second alleged affair between Trump and former Playboy model Karen McDougal can't be shared with the jury, saying he didn't consider it necessary at this moment." Trump has denied having an affair with McDougal.
..... The judge reiterated a ruling that the jury can hear testimony about Trump's infamous "Access Hollywood" comments but can;t watch the tape because it is too prejudicial against trump. Prosecutors say after the tape came out, Trump feared another six scandal would further endanger his standing with women votes, prompting him to pay for Danials' silence.

'It's going to backfire'

..... Police stood guard in front of the courthouse amid a maze of barricades, and helicopters shadowed the motorcade of black SUVs that ferried Trump, the Republican candidate in the 2024 White House race, from his Trump Tower apartment.
..... The group outside included Andre Giuliani, son of longtime Trump adviser and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He said he believed that if acquired. "I'm just hopeful that you do have a few unbiased jurors in there,: he said.
..... A handful of anti-Trump protesters gathered in the plaza across the street, carrying hand-painted signs reading "LOSER" and "convict Trump already." On the other side of a barricade, a small but fervent group of Trump fans held their own signs.
..... Bijaya Acharya, 32, slept just a couple hours after driving for Uber so he could take the train from Queens - Trump's home borough - to wear his iconic red "Make America great Again" hat and show support.
..... Acharya, native to Nepal who became a U.S. citizen in 2021, supports Trump because of his push to crack down on crime and illegal immigration, two issues Acharya said he sees in New York City.
..... He believed the trial only helps Trump's chances of winning: "It's going to backfire," he said. "It's not going to hurt him."

..... Contributing: Reuters.

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