So it begins. On Monday, history was made when former US President Donald Trump appeared in a New York courtroom for the start of his trial on charges of falsifying business records.
He became the first US president, past or present, to be tried on criminal charges.
Monday was the start of what is expected to last six weeks, according to Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the case.
The trial is also the first of four separate criminal trials Trump faces. This comes in the midst of his run for president in 2024.
Prosecutors hope to convict former president on 34 criminal charges related to secret payments he allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claims they had an affair.
Not only did he try to hide the payments, he did so in an attempt to curb bad press and hide information from voters just months before the 2016 presidential election, prosecutors argued. Trump won that election.
On Monday, Trump appeared in Manhattan court in his usual uniform: a blue suit, red tie and U.S. flag lapel pin. He was greeted by hordes of reporters and television cameras, as well as a handful of supporters and protesters.
Once inside, the prosecution and defense teams began jury selection, a task that could last weeks, especially given the political sensitivities involved.
Here are five takeaways from the first day of the trial in New York:
Trump calls trial an ‘attack on America’
Upon arriving at court, Trump quickly set the tone for his defense.
The trial is an “attack on America” and a “political persecution”, said the 77-year-old former president.
Trump has regularly dismissed the allegations against him as a political “witch hunt.” He also used the legal cases against him to energize his base – and collect donations – amid his numerous legal troubles.
Earlier in the day, for example, the Trump campaign released a “fact sheet” about the trial, seeking to frame it as a means of influencing the upcoming presidential elections in November.
“Fact 1: President Trump did nothing wrong. These accusations are entirely fabricated to interfere in the election and divert attention from the failed presidency of the corrupt Joe Biden,” the email said.
Trump repeated this theme outside the courtroom, taking direct aim at Biden, his likely opponent in November.
“It is a country that is failing, it is a country led by an incompetent man who is very involved in this case,” said Trump. “This is really an attack on a political opponent. That’s all, so I’m very honored to be here.”
He also accused the judge and prosecutors who handled the case, including Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, of being partisan.
“This is a coup. It’s a political witch hunt. It goes on and on forever. And we won’t get a fair trial,” he told reporters later in the day.
Judge will not step aside from the case
At the beginning of the day’s hearing, Judge Merchan denied a request from Trump’s defense team, saying once again that no, he will not recuse himself from the trial.
Trump’s team argued that because Merchan’s daughter works as a consultant for Democrats, the judge has a conflict of interest and should be removed from the case.
But Merchan said the defense team’s request was based on “a series of unsubstantiated references, innuendos and speculations.”
Trump’s lawyers have repeatedly tried to delay the trial, in part by asking the judge to recuse himself from the trial. Trump also accused Merchan of being “corrupt.”
Merchan rejected a similar opt-out request last year.
Prosecutors say Trump should pay for violating gag order
Monday’s hearing also saw prosecutors attempt to penalize Trump for alleged violations of a judicial gag order.
Judge Merchan issued the gag order against Trump in March, prohibiting him from making statements about potential witnesses and their “potential participation” in the case.
But prosecutors said Monday that he defied the order at least three times.
They pointed to recent social media posts Trump has made, including one about his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen. Trump called him a “disgraced lawyer and criminal,” casting doubt on his credibility.
Cohen’s testimony is expected to be central to the prosecution’s case.
“The defendant demonstrated his willingness to disregard the order. He attacked witnesses in the case. In the past, he has attacked grand jurors in the case,” said prosecutor Christopher Conroy.
Prosecutors asked the judge to fine Trump $1,000 for each of the charges. Judge Merchan said he would hold a hearing on the gag order at the end of the month.
Access Hollywood tape will not play
Judge Merchan, however, quickly denied a prosecutor’s request to play an Access Hollywood recording in which Trump bragged about grabbing women by the genitals.
Merchan made a similar decision last month, ruling that the prosecution could discuss the tape but not play it in court. Prosecutors could also question witnesses about the recording, he said.
Trump’s defense team argued that playing the tape would be “prejudicial” to a jury.
The prosecution, however, argued that the tape is important in establishing the case. The recording became public in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election, when Trump was under scrutiny for his relationships with women.
Prosecutors will try to show that this public pressure helped motivate Trump’s hush money schemes as he allegedly tried to crack down on unflattering press.
The beginning of a long jury selection process
After some legal disputes between the prosecution and defense, the main event of the day began: the selection of the jury.
More than 500 potential jurors were called for consideration, 96 of whom were invited to the courtroom on Monday.
From this vast pool, the prosecution and defense will select 12 jurors, as well as six alternates.
“You are about to participate in a jury trial. The jury trial system is one of the cornerstones of our judicial system,” Judge Merchan told the 96 potential jurors earlier in the day.
Each potential juror was given a questionnaire intended to discover their political bias.
They were asked where they lived, what jobs they had, what their educational background was and what media they consumed. They were also asked whether they had strong opinions about Trump and whether they felt they could be a “fair and impartial juror.”
At Monday’s hearing, Judge Merchan seemed quick to dismiss the potential jurors.
More than half of the 96 jurors present raised their hands to indicate that they felt they could not be impartial in the case, and all were immediately dismissed. No jurors were seated Monday.
Trump’s troubles have extended outside the courtroom, with shares of his social media company falling 15% on Monday.
Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates the Truth Social platform, have been volatile. Shares had already fallen nearly 60% since the company first went public on March 26.
The company’s shares initially peaked at $70.90, and the public offering is believed to have inflated Trump’s overall wealth by billions.
However, the stock was trading at $27.56 when Trump’s trial began.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
