In one of the latest updates regarding former President Donald Trump’s “hush money” case, a judge provided a list of 42 questions for potential jurors Monday.
Judge Juan Merchan of the New York State Supreme Court sent a letter with the questions to counsel. Per NPR, there will be 12 jurors on the case.
“This Court typically conducts jury selection in the following manner: I read the caption and introduce the defendant and counsel. I identify the charges against the defendant and briefly outline the nature of the case, providing a brief summary of the allegations,” he said. Merchan also explains other things about the procedure, the length of the trial and more.
Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. He is accused of attempting to hide the true nature of payments made to Michael Cohen that were intended to reimburse Cohen for money he paid adult film star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged sexual encounter between Daniels and Trump.
Now the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential candidate, Trump has pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
According to the New York State Unified Court System, a juror qualification questionnaire is sent to prospective jurors by first class mail unless the commissioner of jurors determines that a personal interview is required. In some cases, subsequent personal interviews are required.
In Merchan’s questionnaire, potential jurors will be asked about where they live (including whether they are a native New Yorker), their occupation, their educational background, family, hobbies, the media they consume and more.
They’ll also be asked about their political leanings and potential connections to Trump and his organizations.
One question in particular asked if they “ever considered themselves supporter of or belonged to any of the following: the QAnon movement, Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, Three Percenters, Boogaloo Boys or Antifa.
Of those, the Proud Boys, Oathkeepers and Three Percenters are identified as extremist groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center. All three have been associated with the deadly Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, according to USA Today. SPLC also identifies QAnon as a far-right conspiracy theory and the Boogaloo Boys as a far-right group that was at the Capitol riot.
Trump is also facing other charges related to the riot and faces allegations that he attempted to overthrow the 2020 presidential election.
According to a 2020 article from the SPLC: “Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is a broad, community-based movement composed of individuals organizing against racial and economic injustice. Those who identify with the label represent a large spectrum of the political left. The Trump administration frequently uses the term to describe any group or individual that demonstrates in opposition to its policies. Far-right extremists use similar tactics.”
According to NPR, similar questions were asked at Trump’s previous jury trials in Manhattan. This trial marks the first time a former or sitting president will face a criminal trial.