Former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial

Former President Donald Trump’s first criminal trial is set to start May 15, 2024. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 charges related to allegedly paying hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels to cover an affair she said he had with her. This case is one of four criminal cases charged to Trump, all of which he has pleaded not guilty to.

Trump is being accused of falsifying business records regarding his hush money payments to Daniels, hidden through his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, which is a New York state crime.

While these crimes are often charged as misdemeanors, prosecutors decided to present the charges as felonies, as they believed the falsification of business records may go hand in hand with the violation of election laws.

Finding 12 jurors willing to seek the truth is one dilemma surrounding the case, as Trump’s name is well known and it may prove difficult to find jurors who won’t have political views on the case.

“On the defense side, you’re always looking for jurors that are a little bit skeptical of government power, whereas the prosecutors are looking for jurors that really subscribe to law and order and the rule of law,” said Roy Herrera, founding partner of Herrera Arellano, LLP.

With the jury process having an expected timeline of just a few days or possibly weeks, the case is expected to go on for six weeks, according to Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan.