KTAF NEWS

In just three days, a court has weeded through hundreds of Manhattanites, selecting 12 people and six alternates to serve on the jury in the first-ever criminal trial of a former president.

Finding a group of impartial jurors in the case against Donald Trump – one of the most polarising US politicians – was no easy task.

But now, after over a dozen challenges, both sides have settled on the panel.

“Those who are blatantly biased are out,” said Jeremy Saland, a former Manhattan prosecutor. “They’ve done their homework and done their job to pick a jury.”

To protect their identities, New York Judge Juan Merchan limited the amount of information reporters can share about the 12.

But from what we know, it’s a highly educated group. The five women and seven men include a civil litigator from the Upper East Side: an investment banker with an MBA; a security engineer from the West Village; and a retired wealth manager.

Having highly educated jurors is valuable in this case, Mr Saland, who is not connected with the case, said. “You need someone who’s capable and intelligent enough to parse out what happened and apply the law.”

But the jurors could face intense outside pressure in the high-profile felony trial scheduled as Mr Trump runs for president.

“It’s not your run-of-the-mill or average criminal case,” Mr Saland said. “That’s going to weigh heavy on their minds.”

Here’s a look at the 12 people who will decide the legal fate of the former president based on questions answered during selection.

Juror number one hails from Ireland. The jury foreperson, tasked with overseeing deliberations, he now works in sales and is married. In his spare time, he enjoys anything “outdoorsy”, and gets his news from the New York Times, the Daily Mail and Fox News.

Juror number two is an investment banker with an MBA who lives with his wife in the Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood. For fun, he enjoys music and concerts.

He’s read “quotes” from Mr Trump’s book, the Art of the Deal.

“While I do not have any firmly held opinions or strong beliefs, I do follow the news,” he said, adding he reads “basically everything” because of his work in capital markets.

Juror number three lives in Chelsea. He works in corporate law, and likes to hike and run. For his news, like many others, he reads the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Juror number four has lived in the West Village for 15 years. He’s a security engineer who enjoys wood and metal working, and comedy podcasts in his spare time.

He was on a jury for a criminal case previously, but does not remember if there was a verdict.

When asked by prosecutors at the end of the jury selection process if he’d have any concerns about returning a guilty verdict, he said, “No”. He also said he did not really have strong feelings about the former president.

Juror number 5 was born and raised in Harlem. Now, she’s a school teacher and a “creative at heart”, who loves theatre, writing and travel.

She said she had friends with strong opinions on Mr Trump, but added that she was not a political person and did not really care for the news.

“President Trump speaks his mind and I’d rather that than someone who’s in office who you don’t know what they’re thinking,” she said during the jury selection process.

Juror number six recently graduated from college and lives in Chelsea. She works as a software engineer, and likes to spend time with friends and family and go to restaurants. She reads the New York Times and also gets her news from Google and TikTok.

Juror number seven lives on the Upper East Side. He works as a civil litigator, but told the court that he doesn’t know much about criminal litigation. He’s married with children, and likes to spend time with them outdoors.

For news, he reads the New York Times, the Washington Post and the New York Post. He also listens to the podcast Car Talk.

He told the court he had “political views” about Mr Trump’s time in office, liking some of his policies and disliking others.

Juror number eight is a retired wealth manager. He’s lived on the Upper East Side for decades and has a MBA. He practises yoga “every morning”, and reads the BBC, the New York Times and CNN. He has a son and a daughter.

Juror number nine lives on the Upper East Side and works as a speech therapist. She has a master’s, and likes to go to restaurants and watch TV for fun. She said she did not follow the news too closely, but enjoyed reality TV podcasts.

“I do firmly believe that I can be fair and impartial,” she said during the selection process.

Juror number 10 is originally from Ohio. He works in e-commerce and listens to behavioural psychology podcasts. He loves animals. He does not follow the news much, but reads the New York Times.

Born in California, juror number 11 is a product development manager, and her hobbies include exploring the city and eating.

She told the court she did not like Mr Trump’s “persona”.

“I don’t really agree with some of his politics, but that does not mean I can’t be impartial,” she said. “I don’t like some of my co-workers, but I don’t try to sabotage their work,” she added, prompting laughter from the court.

Juror number 12 lives on the Upper East Side and is a physical therapist. She’s married and enjoys running, tennis and live music as well as sports podcasts. She reads the New York Times, USA Today and CNN.