Follow our live broadcast on Trump’s hush money trial.
The hundreds of New Yorkers taking jury duty Monday morning in Manhattan will embark on an experience not found in the history books: They will be selected as jurors in the trial of a former US president.
The task will not be easy. The attorneys for Donald J. Trump and prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office will narrow the panel to 12 jurors and several alternates. Both sides will try to uncover biases that could change the outcome of the trial, raising dozens of questions that have been discussed and debated for weeks.
Jurors, for their part, will be expected to answer each question honestly in an intimidating environment, just steps away from the former president, who is expected to attend much of the trial.
Here’s what we know about the process:
Who are the future jurors?
The jury is made up of citizens of Manhattan. Beyond that, little is known about the group, even by prosecutors and lawyers. Both sides will use the next few days or weeks to find out everything they can.
Because New York State does not allow jurors to serve in complete anonymity, the parties, including the former president, will know the jurors’ names. Lawyers will also have access to their addresses. (Mr. Trump has not.)
The audience may never learn the names of the jurors. The judge in the case, Juan M. Mercan, granted prosecutors’ request to detain them.
What will they ask?
After reading a summary of the charges, Judge Murchan will ask prospective jurors if they think they can be fair and impartial. They will also be asked if they have any scheduling conflicts that would prevent them from attending each day of the trial, which could last more than six weeks. Those who raise concerns will most likely be removed from the pool.
All jurors who remain will receive the same set of questions. One by one they will talk—briefly and vaguely—about their livelihoods, their educations, and their families. They will be asked where they get their news, what radio and podcasts they listen to and whether they have read books written by Mr. Trump or his former middleman, Michael D. Cohen, who is expected to be a key witness.
Other questions will be sharper. Jurors will be asked if they have ever volunteered or attended a campaign event for Mr Trump or any of his opponents. They will also be asked to reveal their feelings or opinions about how Mr. Trump was treated in this case.
But jurors will not be asked how they voted in past elections, who they plan to vote for, whether they have made political contributions or their party registration.
How are potential jurors removed?
Mr. Trump’s legal team and prosecutors for District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg can challenge the empanelment of prospective jurors by providing specific reasons why they believe the juror cannot be fair and impartial. The judge has the final say.
Both sides will also get a certain number of chances to remove jurors without explanation. After all challenged jurors have been removed from the jury pool, Justice Merchan will seat the jury with those who remain.
How will Mr. Trump be involved?
If Mr. Trump’s behavior at previous trials is any guide, he is likely to be very involved in jury selection. In a previous defamation case, Mr. Trump was fixated on jurors from the moment they entered the courtroom. He swiveled in his chair to survey them as they answered biographical questions. He often talks to his lawyers.
But Mr. Trump’s comments about jurors in this case should start and stop in the courtroom. In addition to being ordered not to reveal their names, Mr. Trump is also subject to a gag order issued by Judge Murchan that prevents him from making public statements about them.
