Judge Juan Merchan has made public the questionnaire employed in the jury selection process for the forthcoming criminal trial of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan.
Questions were released this week for potential jurors in ex-President Trump's upcoming trial in Manhattan. They were asked about work, residence, media preferences, beliefs, legal history, and Trump connections. Responses will shape the jury selection. https://t.co/s0aENiP45D
— The America One News (@am1_news) April 8, 2024
The trial, set to commence next week, centers on purported hush money payments allegedly made by Trump to an adult entertainer during the 2016 presidential election.
A year ago, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted the former president on 34 felony counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree.
The questionnaire sought details from potential jurors regarding their residency, length of time living in the area, whether they are native New Yorkers, occupation, employer, education, marital and parental status, leisure activities, and hobbies.
Comprising 42 numbered questions spanning various subjects, notably absent are inquiries about party affiliation, political contributions, or voting history.
Among the included questions were:
Do you have any political, moral, intellectual, or religious beliefs or opinions which might prevent you from following the Court’s instructions on the law or which might slant your approach to this case?
Can you give us an assurance that you will be fair and impartial and not base your decision in this case upon a bias or prejudice in favor of or against a person who may appear in this trial, on account of that person’s race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, sexual orientation or political views?
Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked for any company or organization that is owned or run by Donald Trump or anyone in his family?
Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for a Trump presidential campaign, the Trump presidential administration, or any other political entity affiliated with Mr. Trump?
Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for Donald Trump?
Are you signed up for or have you ever been signed up for, subscribed to, or followed any newsletter or email listserv run by or on behalf of Mr. Trump or the Trump Organization?
Do you currently follow Donald Trump on any social media site or have you done so in the past?
Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for any and-Trump group or organization?
Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for any anti-Trump group or organization?
Do you have any feelings of opinions about how Mr. Trump is being treated in this case?
Can you give us your assurance that you will decide this case solely on the evidence you see and hear in this courtroom and the law as the judge gives it?
Do you have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about former President Donald Trump, or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?
According to NBC News, Merchan countered a claim put forth by Trump’s legal team concerning the importance of a potential juror’s political affiliation and their view of the former president, asserting, “In contrast to the arguments presented by the defense counsel, the objective of jury selection is not to ascertain whether a potential juror favors or disfavors any of the parties involved.”
“Such questions are irrelevant because they do not go to the issue of the prospective juror’s qualifications,” the judge wrote. “The ultimate issue is whether the prospective juror can ensure us that they will set aside any personal feelings or biases and render a decision that is based on the evidence and the law.”
Merchan indicated that determining political affiliation “can readily be inferred from responses to other inquiries,” cautioning the attorneys involved in the case against attempting to broaden the scope of intrusion beyond what is pertinent and has already received approval.
The matter of political preferences has emerged in the classified documents case involving the former president in Florida. Trump’s legal team and prosecutors are presently entangled in a disagreement over the inclusion of political affiliation disclosure in a questionnaire for prospective jurors in that particular case.
