5:20 PM ET April 15, 2024
Here are key takeaways from day one of the Trump hush money trial:
From CNN’s Jeremy Harb, Kara Scannell and Carnita Iyer
The opening day of former President Donald Trump’s first criminal trial brought home the reality that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee will be sitting in a Manhattan courtroom as a defendant four days a week.
Here are the key takeaways from day one of “The People of New York vs. Donald Trump.”
Difficulties in selecting a jury: Marchand invited 96 New Yorkers to serve as potential jurors. More than half were immediately fired because they did not feel it was fair and impartial. Of the nine other potential jurors questioned, none said they had read a book written by either Trump or Michael Cohen. And not a single person said they worked or volunteered for Mr. Trump.
The defense wants to slow things down. Sources told CNN that the defense is focused on preserving all issues for appeal, so it is likely that there will be many objections and supplements during the trial. These tactics fit into President Trump’s larger legal strategy, which included months of appeals to delay the start of the trial, and were successful for other reasons. Defense attorneys are now hoping the legal process, expected to last six to eight weeks, will proceed slowly with the 2024 election just months away.
President Trump was accused of violating the gag order: Prosecutors asked Judge Juan Melchán to impose sanctions and fines on Trump for violating a gag order that prohibits him from speaking about witnesses in the case, the DA’s office or court staff. Marchan scheduled a hearing on the district attorney’s motion for next Tuesday.
Although the “Access Hollywood” tape cannot be played, the actress can testify: Marchan sided with prosecutors in allowing testimony from actress and model Karen McDougall, who claims she had an affair with Trump. Prosecutors could also introduce as evidence a National Enquirer article criticizing President Trump’s opponents. President Trump has denied his extramarital affair. Meanwhile, a key victory for Trump was Marchan’s decision that the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape could not be played in court because it was prejudicial. Prosecutors will also not be allowed to address other sexual assault allegations against Trump that surfaced after the Access Hollywood tapes were released in October 2016.
