Over 50 potential jurors dismissed in Trump’s hush-money trial

More than half of the prospective jurors in Donald Trump’s hush-money trial were immediately dismissed after admitting that they could not be fair and impartial.

On the first day of the criminal case in New York, Judge Juan Merchan oversaw jury selection from a pool of 96 people, of which at least 50 immediately ruled themselves out.

“If you have an honest, legitimate, good-faith reason to believe you cannot serve on this case or cannot be fair and impartial, please let me know now,” Justice Merchan asked the potential jurors.

One prospective juror was heard saying, “I just couldn’t do it,” as she left the Manhattan court on Monday.

Mr Trump’s defence team had been expecting around 40 people to be excluded on impartiality grounds, according to CNN.

Part of his defence strategy is to highlight the issue of impartiality and the ability for the former president to have a fair trial in the state of New York, which overwhelmingly voted Democrat at the 2020 election.

Mr Trump denies falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office alleges that Mr Trump directed Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, to pay Ms Daniels $130,000 in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter that the former president denies took place.

Prosecutors say he did so to “unlawfully influence” the 2016 election. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty.

Once the “impartial” members of the jury pool had raised their hands, Justice Merchan formally excused them one by one.

The remainder were subjected to 42 questions, ranging from their news-consumption habits to whether they had attended any Trump rallies or read any of the former president’s books.

One man from Manhattan said that he read The Wall Street Journal. Another from New York city’s Upper West Side said his radio habits included listening to whatever was on when he was in the shower. Neither was dismissed

A woman was asked: “Do you have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about former president Donald Trump, or the fact that he is a current candidate for president, that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?”

She replied “yes” and was dismissed by the judge.

All jurors will remain anonymous due to the high-profile nature of the case.

The trial is expected to last six weeks.