Aaaand we're off
After a couple of hiccups, jury selection started Monday in Trump's Manhattan criminal trial
You are allowed to wonder precisely which trial this is. One almost needs a scorecad, but it’s this one, the one where Trump is accused of falsifying business records so that he could hide $130,000 in hush money paid to a porn actress, with whom he’d had congress, small c. Prior tro the 2016 election, the actress had threatened to share news of their 2006 extramarital affair. While the defendant believes he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and get away with it, an extramarital affair was evidently a bridge too far.
This is a new one for us, as we have yet to see a former or currently-serving president on the business end of a trial like this. But people who kept up with live updates (no cameras were allowed but sketch artists were kept busy) might take comfort in the utter every-day-ness of events, including the reading of the Parker Admonition, which seems uniquely weighted in this defendant’s case. A short transcript:
After one more rebuffed request from the defendant for the judge to recuse himself , 50 of the assembled 96 jurors said right off the bat they couldn’t be fair, and they were dismissed and I applaud their honesty.
Jury selection has a long and tattered history in this country. For what it’s worth, the first jury trial was held in 1630 in Plymouth and found the defendant, Mayflower Compact signer John Billington, guilty of murdering John Newcomin. Not much more is known about Billington, other than actor Richard Gere is one of his descendants, was summarily executed. (I include this in case you’re ever on “Jeopardy” and this comes up in the “Famous Murdering Relatives” category.)
Monday’s selection was simply the first round. Potential jurors will be asked far more questions, so buckle in, citizens.
One more thing: A fundraising appeal went out to Trump supporters late in the day that said, according to the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman, that the former president “stormed” out of the courtroom.
Let the record show that he did not.
Did I mention buckle in?
I told my wife yesterday if I was back in CT I’d trek on down to NYC with a megaphone and blare Dennis Yost’s “Stormy” for Trumpamzees listening pleasure. I settled to play it loudly here in 45 land where the cultists are everywhere, clearly I need more to do😎
Once again, the truth is the opposite.The Storm (y) is what got him into court.