An appeals court judge dismissed a final attempt by President Trump to halt his hush money trial, rejecting his claims of unfairly rushed jury selection.
On Friday, a complete jury of 12 individuals and six alternates was selected for President Trump's hush money case, paving the way for opening statements to begin Monday of next week in the inaugural criminal trial involving a U.S. president.
The jury, comprising a software engineer, investment banker, English teacher, and several lawyers, was finalized after lawyers extensively questioned numerous potential jurors about their ability to impartially assess the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
The judge announced that opening statements will be delivered Monday morning, followed by prosecutors presenting their case alleging a scheme to conceal negative stories that Trump feared would impact his 2016 presidential campaign.
Merchan entertained arguments on Friday regarding prosecutors' motion to introduce Trump's previous legal troubles if he testifies in the hush money case. Manhattan prosecutors have expressed their intention to interrogate Trump about his recent civil fraud trial, which concluded with a $454 million judgment against him after a judge determined that Trump had misrepresented his wealth for an extended period. Trump is currently appealing this verdict.
Judge Juan Merchan has set hearings for next week to address prosecutors' petition to hold Trump in contempt of court and impose fines for his social media posts, which they argue violate restrictions on what he can communicate about potential witnesses.
