Dozens Of
Jurors Reject Trump Trial.
United
States ex-President, Donald Trump's unprecedented criminal trial has begun with
half of a group of potential jurors ruled out within minutes on impartiality
grounds.
Mr Trump
denies falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to porn star
Stormy Daniels, and 60 of 96 potential jurors were quick to say in the New York
court that they could not be impartial.
The
Manhattan District Attorney's Office alleges that Mr Trump directed his former
attorney, Michael Cohen, to pay Ms Daniels in exchange for her silence about an
alleged sexual encounter that the former president denies took place.
Prosecutors
say he did so to "unlawfully influence" the 2016 election, and Trump
has pleaded not guilty.
Jury
selection began in the afternoon, while, the judge started by dismissing jurors
who raised their hand to say they could not be impartial, leaving around 34
people, and the judge refused to allow the audio to be played for jurors, but
said prosecutors could refer to what Trump said on the tape.
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