Trump gave a statement ahead of the jury selection today (Picture: Sky News)
Former President Donald Trump has arrived for the first day of his ‘unprecedented’ criminal trial in New York.
In a statement given ahead of the start, Trump said: ‘People that don’t necessarily like or follow me say this is an outrage. This is political persecution like never before, nobody has ever seen anything like it.’
Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal payout – marking the first criminal trial against a former or serving US president.
Alex Keyssar, a professor of history and public policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, told BBC: ‘It’s unprecedented. There’s been nothing remotely comparable to it.’
He was driven to the Manhattan Criminal Court in a motorcade, where prosecutors and defence lawyers have gathered today to begin the process of jury selection.
Police have been bracing for large crowds of both protestors and supporters – with trucks seen in the back of live news shots flying Trump flags and honking ahead of Trump’s arrival.
How will the jury selection process unfold in Trump’s trial?
He waved to reporters as he left Trump Tower this morning (Picture: AFP)
A criminal proceeding involving such public figures – divisive ones at that – will see most potential jurors dismissed.
Justice Merchan has said he plans to dismiss jurors who cannot be fair and impartial – and those who are unwilling to serve.
The remaining candidates will answer 42 compiled questions including:
What media outlets they follow
If they are supporters of the pro-Trump QAnon movement
If they are supporters of the far-left antifascist group Antifa
If they have read Michael Cohen’s books
The case involves a payout to Stormy Daniels (Picture: AP)
Stormy Daniels went to court in 2018 (Picture: Reuters)
But Trump and his lawyers have reportedly conceded that he is unlikely to be acquitted – meaning Trump may personally testify to persuade jurors of his innocence. The rare move could backfire – or work in his favour.
The jury selection alone could last more than two weeks, meaning the trial could stretch into June.
Judge Juan M Merchan has already issued a gag order which bars Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, jurors and the judge’s own family.
A $130,000 ‘hush money’ payment was allegedly paid by Trump’s fixer, Michael Cohen, to Stormy Daniels in 2016 to cover her story about Trump’s alleged relations with her.
Mr Cohen, however, claims he was told to pay Ms Daniels the money, which was later reimbursed to him by Trump.
Hush money payments are not illegal – but improperly recording the reimbursements in legal documents is.
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If convicted, the former president could face four years in prison, but he is unlikely to be jailed- and could still run for president even as a convicted felon.
Mr Keyssar added: ‘What’s remarkable about this is that it doesn’t seem to bother a significant portion of the electorate.’
This morning’s court may start with a hearing over what prosecutors can ask Trump during cross-examination.
Trump also has three other criminal cases ongoing, which involve mishandling classified documents and plotting to overturn the 2020 election results.
His civil trials early this year have left trump facing more than $500 million in losses – including a payment of $83,000,000 in one defamation ruling.
Trump is expected to remain in the courtroom throughout the jury selection.
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