NEW YORK CITY, New York (AP) — As former President Donald Trump prepares to face criminal charges for allegedly falsifying business records, the questions that will be asked of the jury have been revealed. The trial is scheduled to begin next week, with jury selection set to commence on April 15.
The prospective jurors will be asked a range of questions, from their listening habits to podcasts to their opinions on a former president being criminally tried in state court. An appeals court recently dismissed Trump’s attempt to delay the case. He had filed a lawsuit against the Manhattan judge overseeing the trial earlier in the day.
The questions for potential jurors were published in a New York court order and are most specific about their involvement in groups that either oppose or support Trump. Notably, the questions single out the QAnon movement, the Proud Boys, the Oathkeepers, the Three Percenters, the Boogaloo Boys, and Antifa.
Among the specific questions, the jury pool will be asked to reveal information about their media consumption, including what they watch and read, as well as the social media platforms they follow. This information will likely play a crucial role in jury selection.
Trump was charged with a felony last year in connection with a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, with whom he is alleged to have had an affair. He has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records and has continuously claimed that the charges against him are politically motivated.
The former president has voiced his dissatisfaction with the trial being held in Manhattan, a heavily Democratic area where he fears he won’t receive an unbiased jury. Legal experts have noted that jury selection may pose a challenge for Trump’s legal team.
In an apparent effort to delay the trial, Trump filed a lawsuit seeking to change the trial’s location and dismiss a gag order that limits his ability to comment on the case. However, an appeals court judge dismissed this last-minute attempt.
Despite facing multiple criminal cases, Trump’s hush money trial may be the only one to take place before the upcoming presidential election in November. The trial was already postponed once due to the unexpected release of documents that needed review.
Along with the trial, Trump is also challenging a gag order imposed by Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the proceedings. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has requested an expansion of the order to cover the families of those involved after Trump attacked the judge’s daughter on social media.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department’s special counsel has asked the Supreme Court to reject Trump’s claim of absolute presidential immunity, stating that it would essentially exempt the President from almost all criminal law.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in Trump’s immunity case later this month. The special counsel is prosecuting Trump in a classified files case and a 2020 elections interference case.