Jury Selection Continues
Jury selection in former President Donald Trump's historic criminal trial in New York continued on Tuesday. The process of seating potential jurors resumed with Trump present in the courtroom.
Roughly two-thirds of the initial group of 96 potential jurors were dismissed on Monday, with most citing concerns about their ability to remain impartial. Several more were dismissed on Tuesday, including one woman due to illness and others who expressed concerns about their impartiality.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to argue over the scope of questioning permitted for Trump if he chooses to testify.
Trump, facing 34 state felony counts related to the falsification of business records, has pleaded not guilty and called the trial a "sham."
The trial is projected to last between six and eight weeks, with sessions held every weekday except Wednesdays. The schedule restricts Trump's ability to campaign, a fact he has cited in support of his claims of political bias.
Judge Merchan emphasized that Trump is required to attend each day of the trial and warned that he would face arrest if he fails to appear. He denied a request from defense attorneys to allow Trump to attend Supreme Court arguments next week regarding his claim of presidential immunity in one of his federal cases.