Donald Trump will become the first former president to face criminal charges next week, and he will do so amid a presidential campaign in which he is the presumptive Republican nominee.
Jury selection begins Monday in New York, and the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.
Here’s a look at what you need to know and what to expect.
How long is jury selection expected to take?
Jury selection is expected to last one to two weeks. Starting Monday, Trump’s prosecutors and lawyers will try to narrow a pool of potentially hundreds of people to 12 jurors and six jurors. Each judge will answer 42 questions It is designed to determine whether or not the polarizing former president is unbiased. The questions included inquiries about what news sources they followed and whether they attended any Trump rallies or protests. The judges will be anonymous, meaning their identities will be hidden from the public for security reasons.
A 2022 criminal trial involving Trump’s company before the same judge took a week to select 12 jurors and five alternates.
What is Trump accused of?
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted Trump 34 numbers first-degree falsifying business records, a lower-level misdemeanor. If convicted, Trump faces a maximum of 4 years in prison.
What does the prosecution claim?
Prosecutors allege that Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records during the 2016 presidential election to conceal criminal acts that concealed damaging information from the voting public.”
At the heart of the case are allegations of various sex scandals that prosecutors say they tried to suppress with the help of Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, and senior executives responsible for the National Enquirer. In the final days of the election, Cohen paid one of the women, adult movie star Stormi Daniels, $130,000 to keep quiet about allegations that she had sex with Trump in 2006. Trump has denied this charge.
After his election, Trump reimbursed Cohen through a series of trust checks processed through the Trump Organization and labeled as payment for “legal services rendered” — a claim the DA said was false.
What is Trump’s defense?
Trump has maintained that he did nothing wrong, and while he has admitted paying Cohen, he says he doesn’t know the details of what Cohen did.
His lawyers will likely take aim at Cohen on the witness stand by painting him as a liar who hates the former president and whose testimony should not be believed. They’re likely to be aggressive with Daniels, focusing on comments he’s made mocking Trump to portray him as biased and untrustworthy.
Who will testify for the prosecution?
Cohen, who said Trump ordered the payment to Daniels, is expected to be a key witness, as is Daniels. Trump’s lawyers tried to bar both of them from testifying, but Judge Juan Merchan gave the green light for both to take the stand. Daniels’ former attorney, Keith Davidson, is likely to testify about his settlement negotiations, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.
Former Playboy model Karen McDougal is also expected to testify and has said she had an affair with Trump, an allegation she denies. Trump was paid by the Enquirer to remain silent about allegations that prosecutors say he was part of a “catch-and-kill” scheme designed to cover up potential scandals.
According to the source, Trump ally David Packer, who was the CEO of the Enquirer publisher AMI at the time, is also expected to be called. Dylan Howard, another former AMI executive involved in discussions with Trump and Cohen, may also testify.
Former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks — who prosecutors say was involved in phone conversations between Trump, Cohen and AMI — and former Trump aide Madeleine Westerhout will also take the stand, the source said.
Jurors are also expected to hear from former Trump Organization supervisor Jeffrey McConney and former company accounts payable supervisor Deborah Tarasoff, the source said.
Who will testify in Trump’s defense?
Court documents show that Trump will testify to Bradley A. Smith, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, about the FEC and its function, the laws it is responsible for enforcing, and job definitions and terms. The judge ruled that Trump would not be allowed to comment on whether his actions violated election laws, as Trump had hoped.
Trump, the only person who could directly refute some of Cohen’s claims, said so on Friday he would testify “definitely”. in court. He is not required to take a stand.
Will Trump have to be in court every day?
Unlike the civil fraud and E. Jean Carroll defamation trials in New York, the DA’s case is a crime, so Trump is required to be in court every day to participate in his defense. The trial is on Wednesdays, but Trump will be in court for the remaining four days of the trial week. Trial days are expected to run from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
Trump suggested that after attending court during the day, he could also hold campaign events at night.
How many juror votes are needed to convict or acquit?
To reach a verdict, all 12 jurors must agree on whether Trump is guilty of a particular charge.