Trump's Hush Money Case: Judge Issues 42-Query Jury Form Days Before Selection

The New York hush money trial involving former President Donald Trump is set to commence next week. This follows State Judge Juan Merchan‘s approval of a jury questionnaire.

What Happened: As reported by NBC News on Monday, the 42-question form for jury selection, provided by Merchan to the attorneys involved in the case, does not include questions about political affiliations, contributions, or voting history.

Merchan dismissed Trump’s lawyer’s argument that potential jurors’ political leanings and opinions of Trump are significant for jury selection. He stated that the purpose of jury selection is not to gauge whether a prospective juror likes or dislikes one of the parties. He emphasized that the ultimate issue is whether the juror can set aside personal biases and base their decision on the evidence and law.

The questionnaire for prospective jurors includes various questions. Merchan cautioned attorneys not to seek to expand the degree of intrusion beyond what is relevant and already approved.

See Also: Donald Trump Says It Would Be A ‘Great Honor’ If He Were Jailed For Breaching Gag Order: ‘I Will Gladly Become A Modern Day Nelson Mandela’

Why It Matters: This development follows a series of legal maneuvers by Trump’s legal team. They had recently subpoenaed adult film actress Stormy Daniels’ communications with Michael Cohen and others in the ongoing hush money case.

Earlier, on April 6, Trump’s legal team had argued for Judge Merchan’s recusal in the case. Following a similar request on April 2, this was their second attempt, citing an ‘unacceptable risk.’

However, these attempts were unsuccessful, and Judge Merchan denied Trump’s request to postpone the trial. The judge also rejected Trump’s lawyers’ request for presidential immunity claims in the hush money criminal case.

Photo via Shutterstock

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