(TotalConservative.com) – The judge overseeing the New York hush money trial of former President Donald Trump will ask prospective jurors questions about their media consumption habits, whether or not they follow subjects like QAnon, and if they have any affiliation with groups like the Proud Boys.
Prior to jury selection on Monday, April 15, Judge Juan Merchan will administer a 42-item questionnaire to potential jurors who will be asked about what sorts of media they consume and more specific questions about associations with particular groups like the Proud Boys or QAnon conspiracy theorists. Respondents will also be asked if they have worked for any of Trump’s companies in the past or if they have any strong feelings about criminal charges being filed against a former president.
The judge clarified that no items on the questionnaire will ask about whom prospective jurors “voted for or intend to vote for,” or if they’ve made any donations toward political entities. Prospective jurors will also not be asked which party (if any) they are registered with; despite this, the judge added that their affiliation may be easily “gleaned from the responses to the other questions.”
Trump faces 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business records and is accused of funneling payments through his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult actor Stormy Daniels in order to buy her silence leading up to the 2016 presidential election about an alleged affair. Trump pleaded not guilty. Daniels, whose legal name is actually Stephanie Clifford, claims she and the former president slept together almost 20 years ago, a claim Trump has denied.
Some of the other items on the questionnaire for prospective jurors include whether or not they have ever been accused of a crime, as well as their occupations. The questionnaire also intends to determine how jurors feel about the historical nature of prosecuting a former president for criminal charges.
The judge also made it clear that picking jurors for such a famous case against such a high-profile person comes with complications, including stricter measures to ensure the anonymity of the jurors involved.
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