The trial in New York for payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels begins with the selection of 12 jurors. In the background is the presidential campaign, to which Trump will be able to dedicate less time starting Monday.
Each will answer 42 questions designed to discern whether they can be impartial about the polarizing figure of Trump. The questions include questions about the news they consume and whether they have ever attended Trump rallies or protests against him. Trump has maintained that he did nothing wrong, and although he has acknowledged reimbursing money to Cohen, he said he did not know what Cohen had done. The former president's lawyers tried to prevent both from testifying, but Judge Juan Merchan gave them the green light to take the stand. A criminal trial against Trump's company before the same judge in 2022 took a week to select 12 jurors and five alternates. Trump faces a maximum of four years in prison if he is convicted. The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks. The jury will be anonymous, meaning their identities will not be made public.