The historic trial of Donald Trump resumed Thursday in New York with the difficult selection of the jury. A juror expressed her fears, saying she had been recognized by relatives, even though the jury is supposed to be anonymous to avoid pressure.
After this incident, the number of jurors went from 7 to 6, out of 12 required, not counting the 6 alternates. Donald Trump is on trial in a case of hidden payments to buy the silence of a former porn star, Stormy Daniels, a few days before the 2016 election that he won narrowly against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. The prosecution and defense have already used six of the ten authorized juror challenges. The potential jurors, anonymous citizens plunged overnight into a historic affair, find their lives scrutinized. They must answer a long questionnaire on their profession, family situation, sources of information, centers of interest, and their opinion on Trump, but also to even more detailed questions from the prosecution or the defense. The judge called on all media covering the trial to use “common sense.