Trump To Receive Juror Names In Hush-Money Trial Involving Porn Star, Public Excluded

In the upcoming New York hush-money criminal trial, former President Donald Trump will have access to the names of jurors, a privilege not granted to the public.

What Happened: Manhattan Judge Juan Manuel Merchan ruled on Thursday to keep the identities of the yet-to-be-selected jury confidential, with exceptions for Trump, his defense team, prosecutors, jury consultants, and legal staff. The addresses of the jurors’ residences and workplaces will only be known to Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors, reported AP News.

“Access to the courtroom by the public and the press will not be tempered in any way as a result of these protective measures,” wrote Merchan in his ruling, according to the report.

Jury selection is set to begin on March 25. The ruling, in response to a request from prosecutors, applies to both jurors chosen for the trial and potential jurors who may be summoned but not selected.

Trump is accused of falsifying internal records of his company to conceal payments to his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who paid porn actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 as part of an effort to suppress claims of Trump’s extramarital sexual encounters during his 2016 campaign.

See Also: Trump’s Organization Looks To Middle East With $4B Saudi Deal To Bolster His Real Estate Mogul Status Slipping Away In America

The Manhattan district attorney’s office last week requested Merchan to restrict access to juror names and keep them from the public, citing Trump’s “extensive history of attacking jurors in other proceedings.”

Trump’s lawyers agreed with keeping jurors’ names from the public, but for different reasons. They cited “extremely prejudicial pretrial media attention associated with this case” and disputed the prosecution’s characterization of his previous comments about jurors.

Why It Matters: The hush-money case against Trump, once considered the least consequential among his legal battles, has gained significance as it marks the first criminal trial involving a former president before a jury. The case revolves around allegations of orchestrating a payment scheme to silence Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with Trump.

Trump’s legal team has been making efforts to postpone the trial and even presented a novel legal theory stating that even if he was guilty of something, there is no crime. However, Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, predicts a guilty verdict for Trump in the case.

Photo by Evan El-Amin on Shutterstock

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