A New York court will begin selecting jurors Monday to try an ex-president on criminal charges for the first time in U.S. history.
It’s really happening.
A New York court will begin selecting jurors Monday to try an ex-president on criminal charges for the first time in U.S. history.
Former President Donald Trump managed to delay criminal cases against him in Georgia and federal court but will make history when he enters a Manhattan courtroom for a trial on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Even if convicted of felony counts, it is unlikely the presumptive GOP presidential nominee will face prison time given his lack of criminal history and the nature of the charges. The facts in the case are eight years old and have been litigated in the court of public opinion during that time.
Yet polls show a criminal conviction could dent Mr. Trump’s support among independents as he heads for a rematch with President Biden.
The case also hinges on salacious claims that Mr. Trump, fearing bad press in 2016, paid $130,000 in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged sexual encounter from nearly two decades ago, along with payments to a second woman who alleged an affair and a doorman who pushed an unproven story that Mr. Trump had a child out of wedlock.
Prosecutors allege Mr. Trump concealed the payments through reimbursements to his attorney-turned-accuser, Michael D.
