The Manhattan Criminal Courthouse will be the center of unprecedented legal proceedings this week as former President Donald Trump goes on trial for alleged crimes related to hush money payments made in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
While the charges of falsifying business records may seem dry, the trial promises to be anything but.
In 2023, Trump was indicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying records at the Trump Organization to conceal $130,000 paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels and $150,000 to Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Prosecutors allege these “hush money” payments violated campaign finance laws by attempting to bury potential scandals during Trump’s presidential bid.
At its core, the case will scrutinize whether Trump acted with intent to conceal other crimes – in this case, illegal campaign contributions – by disguising reimbursements to his former lawyer Michael Cohen as legal fees in business records.
The “hush money” trial kicks off with the task of seating an impartial jury given Trump’s unrivaled fame and controversies. Prospective jurors face a 42-question screening on their media habits and views on the former president.
Once selected, 12 jurors and 6 alternates will weigh testimonies from key witnesses like Cohen, Daniels, McDougal and Trump Organization insiders.
Furthermore, all eyes will be on Judge Juan Merchan, whom Trump has blasted as biased but who has maintained, when speaking to AP, that there is “no agenda here” beyond pursuing justice.
However, the former president’s unrelenting attacks on the judge, his family, and witnesses could create raucous scenes and prompt sanctions for violating a partial gag order.
Now with each falsifying charge carrying up to 4 years in prison, Trump theoretically faces over a decade behind bars if convicted across multiple counts. However, sentencing guidelines make incarceration time unlikely for a first-time offender on these charges.
