Posted on 04/17/2024 8:13:59 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
A juror who was excused from serving on the Manhattan trial of former President Donald Trump provided details about the questions potential jurors were asked.
Kara McGee told media outlets outside the courtroom on Tuesday that she was dismissed but said she believes she could be impartial, adding still that it would be “very difficult for anyone really in this country to not come to this without prior opinions.”
“We all have prior opinions on the defendant, unless you’ve been living in a cardbox,” she said, adding that she was excused because of her job in the cybersecurity sector.
Regarding her personal feelings on President Trump, the woman said, “I’m not a fan.” The main reason why, she said, is because of how she believed he handled the COVID-19 pandemic response.
But Ms. McGee provided some insight on the questions that were asked of the jurors.
“One of which is: Do you have opinions about the ability for a former sitting president to be tried in a court of law? Which I think the way people answered that showed how they felt about case,” she said. “The other one was: Do you have any opinions about legal limits for campaign finance donation amounts? Which I believe was another one that was kinda meant to gauge feelings about the particular case,” she added.
As of Wednesday morning, seven jurors have been selected with five more slots remaining. The judge has indicated that he will choose about six extra jurors to serve as backups.
This is one of the prospective jurors who assured us she could be unbiased in the Trump trial.
She was dismissed due to scheduling conflicts. But she said this, while also assuring the court that she could have remained objective and unbiased. pic.twitter.com/2D4cp2WdBc— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) April 17, 2024
Responding to the jury-selection process, President Trump wrote on Wednesday: “I thought STRIKES were supposed to be ‘unlimited’ when we were picking our jury? I was then told we only had 10, not nearly enough when we were purposely given the 2nd Worst Venue in the Country. Don’t worry, we have the First Worst also, as the Witch Hunt continues!”
The former president is on trial for allegedly falsifying payments that were made during the 2016 campaign meant to bury potentially negative stories about him. Prosecutors say that he delivered $130,000 to former lawyer Michael Cohen to deal with a story about an alleged affair with adult actress Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, which the former president has denied.
In court papers, President Trump’s lawyers have argued that the payments were legitimate expenses. He’s pleaded not guilty to the charges, which are felonies, and said it’s an attempt to denigrate his 2024 presidential chances.
Before entering the court on Tuesday, President Trump described the judge, Juan Merchan, as a “Trump-hating” official who “shouldn’t be on this case.” Earlier, he said that the judge is “conflicted” because his daughter works as a consultant for the Democratic Party and has had high-profile clients including Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s a trial that is being looked upon and looked at all over the world ... they’re looking at, analyzing it. Every legal pundit, every legal scholar said this trial is a disgrace,” the former president added.
The judge has refused to recuse himself in the case. On Monday, Judge Merchan again said he wouldn’t recuse himself and added that the matter will not be considered again until an appeals court renders a decision.
Also Monday, Judge Merchan told President Trump that he has to show up in court every day it’s in session, adding that “there will be an arrest” if he doesn’t. It means that the former president will not be able to hold many campaign events, including in many key battleground states, for the next several weeks.
The former president visited a New York City bodega where a man was stabbed to death, with the aides saying he chose the store because it has been the site of a violent attack on an employee, a case that resulted in public criticism for the Democratic district attorney, Alvin Bragg, now prosecuting him.
The visit was President Trump’s first campaign appearance since his criminal hush money trial began, making the presumptive GOP nominee the first former president in U.S. history to stand criminal trial.
“They want law and order ... every week they’re being robbed,” the former president said of businesses in New York, as he tried to compare his prosecution with what happens on New York streets. “You know where the crime is? It’s in the bodegas.”
“Papito Trump is coming. Yeah!” said one passerby ahead of the former president’s arrival. Another woman who spoke to The Associated Press said that the former president “speaks the truth,” making reference to illegal immigration. “I think that he will make a difference,” she added.
“I love this city,” the former president told reporters after emerging from the store. “We’re going to straighten New York out.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Those couple lawyers on the jury were put there to watch for a potential juror engaged in jury nullification.
You can bet that if there is a hold out juror, eagle eyed members will be waiting to report that juror to the judge.
They are trying to manipulate the law into guaranteeing a guilty verdict. Whether that is for cover for a stacked jury or for intimidating hold out jurors into trusting the process.
They don’t want any questioning about the process or law or the legal authorities, so they will hammer about making a decision on their version of the law. That is what the juror-lawyers will push.
Jurors have a right to question the legal process, laws, and how that fits with justice.
That’s what I’ve read as well.
Trump’s lawyers can toss anyone they think has a bias against Trump, but they can’t claim that every single person holds a bias against Trump and that’s why they’ve tossed them.
I have faith that Trump’s lawyers are smart enough to pick a good jury. Not that it matters anyway because this case was made for the appellate courts!
Good post...thanks.
What’s your gut feeling on the outcome?
I should have added that I see a possible mistrial.
We live in NYS and ne7ther of us has gotten a jury summons in years, and both of us are long overdue.
I’m wondering if NYS has found a way to weed out conservatives/Trump supporters from the jury pool from the get-go.
Just don’t send them jury summons.
It’d be easy enough to use the FEC database to do this.
And I’m a Trump donor.
Inquiring minds want to know...
No. They can make informed guesses, but I would be surprised if a juror willingly revealed all his true feelings and intentions. Likewise, if a MAGA person reveals evarything, Merchan and Bragg will strike him.
It's like stud poker where you make bets without being able to see all the cards. NY judges like Merchan want stealth Trump haters on the jury.
DC is Similar. There Judge Berman Jackson allowed a Trump hater to be jury foreman in the Roger Stone case.
The odds that a single juror will be seated that is a rational conservative is 1000000 to 1.
I think your suspicions are right on target.
I’d say you’re right. Please see Post 25.
I’m sure they are all like my cousin, needing to only wake them when it’s time to “deliberate.”
“We only NEED ONE of those jurors with the balls to have lied on the jury questionnaire to get on the jury and throw a fork in the whole damn mess!!”
I’m hoping for more than that.
Apparently she did write such a letter, and then later repudiated the letter. She admits she wrote the letter, but later said the letter was false. Its bizarre. I’m not sure how that plays out.
Other stories said Melanie was pregnant with Baron when the alleged affair took place. Trump could definitely argue his lawyer Cohen paid the blackmail to shut her up in order to protect Trump’s family and home life, among other reasons. I still believe he bought the story rights to prevent her from selling it to the rags, and that purchase could be seen as an investment. And didn’t Avenatti end up taking all the money? Didn’t he go to prison for blackmailing a shoe company? He blackmailed the shoe company, why not Trump too?
This case is a big mess.
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