Jury Selection Hits a Snag in Trump Trial as Two Jurors Disqualified; Judge Warns Media to Keep Identifying Information Under Wraps

The ongoing criminal trial against former President Donald Trump in New York has hit a snag as two out of the seven selected jury members have been ruled out by the judge. This means that five more jurors are still needed to begin the hearings, with many potential jurors declaring that they cannot be impartial.

The issue of the jury was addressed before the process of choosing the remaining jurors resumed, with Judge Juan Merchán overseeing the case expressing his criticism towards the press for publishing information that led to jurors being identified. The judge emphasized the importance of not revealing identifying information about the selected jurors, and one potential juror was ruled out as a result.

One of the challenged jurors, identified as juror number 2, expressed concern about being identified despite her name not being public. Meanwhile, the reasons for the second juror’s exclusion remain unknown, but it is believed that their credibility was questioned based on questionnaire answers by prosecutors.

The trial against Trump involves allegations that he paid $130,000 to porn actress Stormy Daniels to conceal their relationship before the 2016 elections. Trump, who did not comment to the press upon arriving at court, has pleaded not guilty to 34 charges brought against him. Despite this setback in choosing impartial jury members, it is expected that proceedings will continue on Monday with one more juror set to be questioned for inconsistencies in their statements during selection.