Historic Trump Trial Shifts To Grilling Of Potential Jurors

Prosecutors began grilling prospective jurors in Donald Trump's historic criminal trial Tuesday, kicking off a grueling process in which both sides will look to weed out biased panelists

New York, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Apr, 2024) Prosecutors began grilling prospective jurors in Donald Trump's historic criminal trial Tuesday, kicking off a grueling process in which both sides will look to weed out biased panelists.

No other US ex-president has faced a criminal trial and the pressure is high on defense attorneys and prosecutors to get a dozen jurors able to sit in judgement on a man running to return to the White House this November.

After a preliminary phase in which prospective jurors could opt out if they felt unable to be impartial, the prosecution began detailed questioning of an initial panel of 12, with Trump's defense team to follow.

The high bar in a criminal trial means that to convict Trump of his alleged fraud in a scheme to cover up an embarrassing alleged extramarital encounter with a porn star will require a unanimous jury.

Even one dissenting voice would see him walk free.

The painstaking process was expected to take as long as two weeks before arguments can even begin, eating deep into the presidential campaign.

Trump, 77, has been ordered by Judge Juan Merchan to attend daily and on arrival Tuesday for the second day the Republican was fuming.

"I should be right now in Pennsylvania and Florida -- in many other states, North Carolina, Georgia -- campaigning," Trump said, calling Merchan, "Trump-hating."

Meanwhile, Biden was due to tout his economic policies in a visit to his birthplace in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Tuesday -- a key swing state Biden narrowly carried in the 2020 election.