“Do they watch cable news and if they do what channels do they watch?” he added. Are they watching CNN and reading the New York Times? Or is it Fox News and the New York Post? “Secondly, are they a Democrat or Republican and did they vote in the last presidential election and who did they vote for? “I would want to know how they are registered to vote,” Tew said. “In a case like this, there may be hundreds of jurors. “We only have a few hours to look,” Hurwitz said. ![]() Other information to be gathered includes their occupations, education levels, political donations, and whether they are “pro- or anti-government.” For example, have they experienced instances of “government interference” such as a lien or permitting issue? The client tells us what does their ideal juror look like? What is the criminal background? Are they a business owner? Do they have kids? Do they have liens, bankruptcies or foreclosures?” “We get our entire team to look through their social media, anything that will show their political leanings,” he said. Marc Hurwitz, president of Crossroads Investigations, a Miami-based investigation and jury consulting firm not involved in the case, suggested that both sides will need to gather as much information as possible about the prospective jurors in a very short time. ![]() “Prior to Calendar Call, each party may file no more than 10 proposed voir dire questions (including any sub-parts) for the Court to consider asking of the venire.”Īnd she added: “The Court will not permit the backstriking of jurors.” Rapid research “Counsel shall be prepared to conduct limited voir dire following the Court’s questioning of the panel,” she wrote. While declaring that all hearings should take place in Fort Pierce, she wrote that “modifications” would be “made as necessary as this matter proceeds.”Ĭannon only briefly covered jury selection in her order. Observers also believe Cannon left the door open to move the case to another city. Trump pleaded not guilty earlier this month to the charges in the 37-count indictment against him. Trump’s co-defendant, valet and personal assistant Waltine Nauta, has yet to retain a Florida-based lawyer for his scheduled arraignment on Tuesday, according to court records. The lists must be refreshed every two years.ĭespite the trial date ordered by Cannon, many observers doubt the proceedings will start that soon because of the volume of preparations to be undertaken by both sides. Under district rules, court clerks in each division are expected to keep a pool of a minimum number of juror prospects to fill trial and grand juries. Here’s what you might not know about the city. ![]() “Former President Trump from the day he started running has been in the news almost every day, and with his personality he has a very forceful personality that turns some people off and turns some people on.”įort Pierce may play host to Trump’s trial. “You’re choosing a jury in probably the most political trial in American history,” Tew added. “What you want in your jury is to have people judge the facts and the law without any preconceptions as to what the facts are and what the laws are.” “This is probably the most difficult jury selection imaginable,” said longtime Miami lawyer Jeffrey Tew, who has defended a number of public officials in Florida. District Court in Fort Pierce, a venue that many observers view as a potentially favorable place because of its politically conservative jury pool.īut the challenges facing both sides in the case may well transcend politics, lawyers and jury consultants say, and it’s far from certain that political leanings of would-be jurors will be the deciding factor in the case’s outcome. Trump, indicted for hoarding classified government documents at his South Florida home, is scheduled to go on trial in U.S.
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