Donald Trump trial: These are the 42 suitability questions for the jury

In Germany, jurors have not sat in court for 100 years, but things are different in the USA: there the constitution even requires their presence at trials – to the chagrin of many citizens. Because any of them can be sentenced to judicial service, and they often face a difficult time: weeks of negotiations with myriads of information. Jury members are not allowed to talk about this with outsiders, which is why they may even have to go into isolation during the trial.

18 out of 96 New Yorkers become jurors

In short: Many of the 96 New Yorkers who received an invitation for jury service in the past few weeks were probably only moderately enthusiastic. What might have made the matter interesting for some, however, is the defendant. Because the trial is about a certain Donald John Trump and his possible cover-up of hush money payments. It is also a historic event: no ex-US president has ever been charged in a criminal case.

In the end, twelve of all the jury candidates are needed, plus six reserve jurors who can step in in an emergency. The selection process usually lasts for many days, but in this case the matter appears to have been settled after less than a week. On the second day of the trial, seven of the twelve jurors were already determined.

Trump lawyers are allowed to reject ten candidates

Jury selection is a complicated process because it involves eliminating biases in favor or against the defendant. In order to exclude all real and possible conflicts of interest, the candidates must answer a catalog of 42 questions. If their answers are not satisfactory, they are rejected and can go home. The prosecution and defense also have the right to reject potential jurors for no reason, even if only ten times each.

Here are the 42 questions that the potential jury members have to answer – truthfully, of course.

1. Without telling us your address, which (New York, ed.) neighborhood do you live in? How long have you lived there? Are you a native New Yorker? If not, where did you live before?

2. What do you do for a living? How long have you been doing this? If you are retired, please tell us what you did before retirement.

3. Who is your current employer? How big is your current employer? Are you self-employed or do you own your own business? Who was your previous employer?

4. What is your educational background? For example: high school diploma, college diploma, university degree and so on.

5. Are you married? Have you ever been married? Do you have children?

6. If you are married or live with another adult, what does that person do for a living? If you have adult children, what do they do?

7. What do you like to do in your free time? Do you have any interests or hobbies?

8. Are you a member of an organization or advocacy group? In which?

9. Have you ever been a member of a jury? If so, please tell us how long ago that was and whether it was in criminal court, civil court, or jury trial. Without mentioning the verdict, please tell us whether the jury reached a verdict.

10. Which of the following print media, TV programs, online media such as websites, blogs or social media platforms do you visit, read or watch? (“The New York Times”, “USA Today”, “New York Daily News”, “Huffington Post”, CNN, MSNBC, Google, Facebook, Fox News, Newsmax, MSN, Yahoo, Truth Social).

11. Do you listen or watch podcasts? If yes, which?

12. Do you listen to talk radio? If so, which programs?

13. Have you, a relative or a close friend ever been a victim of a crime? If so, please tell us briefly what happened.

14. Have you, a relative or a close friend ever been employed by a law enforcement agency? For example, the police, the FBI, the prosecutor's office, the corrections department, and so on.

15. Have you, a relative or a close friend ever been employed by a federal, state or local government agency?

16. Have you, a relative or a close friend ever worked in accounting or finance?

17. Have you, a relative or a close friend ever had any education, training or work experience in the legal field?

18. Have you, a relative, or a close friend had any experiences or contacts with the criminal justice system, including as a police officer or other type of law enforcement officer, that led you to form a positive or negative opinion about the police or our criminal justice system? If so, what kind of experience was that? Would this experience prevent you from being a fair and impartial juror in this case?

19. Have you, a relative or a close friend ever been accused or convicted of a crime?

20. Are there criminal proceedings pending against you, a relative or a close friend?

21. Do you have any political, moral, intellectual or religious beliefs or opinions that could prevent you from following the court's legal instructions or that could influence your approach to this case? Do you have any political, moral, intellectual or religious beliefs or opinions that could prevent you from making a judgment in this criminal case?

22. Are you unable to be present on the appointed days and times for health reasons, or are you unable to serve as a jury member for other reasons?

23. Without telling us your name(s), are you taking any medication that could prevent you from concentrating or paying attention during the procedure or consultations?

24. Court hearings usually end around 4.30pm, but in rare cases we can work later. Would your schedule and responsibilities allow you to work later if absolutely necessary to complete the day's work?

25. Do you practice a religion that would prevent you from serving as a jury member on a particular day of the week or night?

26. Can you assure us that you will act fairly and impartially and will not base your decision in this case on any bias or prejudice in favor of or against any person who may appear in this process based on their race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, sexual orientation or political views?

27. Can you promise that stereotypes or attitudes about individuals or groups of people, called implicit bias, will not influence your decision?

28. Have you, a relative or a close friend ever worked for a company or organization owned or managed by Donald Trump or a member of his family?

29. Have you, a relative or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for a Trump campaign, the Trump administration or any other political entity affiliated with Mr. Trump? Have you ever attended a Donald Trump rally or campaign event? Are you or have you ever been subscribed to, subscribed to, or follow any newsletter or email list operated by or on behalf of Mr. Trump or the Trump Organization? Do you currently follow Donald Trump on any social media site or have you done so in the past? Have you, a relative or close friend ever worked or volunteered for an anti-Trump group or organization? Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for an anti-Trump group or organization? Are you, or have you ever signed up for, subscribed to, or followed a newsletter or email list operated by or on behalf of an anti-Trump group or organization? Do you currently follow an anti-Trump group or organization on a social media site or have you done so in the past?

30. Have you ever considered yourself a supporter of or belonged to any of the following groups: QAnon movement, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, Boogaloo Boys, Antifa)

30. Have you ever considered yourself a follower or belonged to the following organizations: QAnon movement, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, Boogaloo Boys, Antifa?

31. Do you have a strong opinion on whether a former president can be criminally charged in state court?

32. Do you have any feelings or opinions about how Mr. Trump is being treated in this case?

33. Can you assure us that you will decide this case based solely on the evidence you see and hear in this courtroom and the judge's jurisprudence?

34. Do you have any strong opinions or beliefs regarding former President Donald Trump or the fact that he is currently running for president that would affect your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?

35. Have you read (or listened to) any of the following books or podcasts by Michael Cohen or Mark Pomerantz? If so, please let us know if what you have heard or read affects your ability to be a fair and impartial juror in this case.

36. The accused in this case has written a number of books. Have you read (or listened to as an audiobook) one or more of these books? If yes, which?

37. Do you have an opinion on the legal limits on political donations?

38. Can you promise to set aside everything you have heard or read about this case and make your judgment based solely on the evidence presented in this courtroom and the law told to you by the judge?

39. Can you give us absolute assurance that you will not speak to anyone about this case and will not watch, read or listen to any reports about this case during the duration of the trial?

40. Can you assure us that you will follow the judge's instructions on the law, including those on the definition of reasonable doubt and the presumption of innocence?

41. The Constitution of the United States provides that a defendant is not required to present evidence or testify in a criminal trial. If Mr. Trump chooses not to testify or provide evidence, can you assure us that you will not hold that against him?

42. Is there any reason, bias or otherwise, that would prevent you from being fair and impartial if selected as a juror for this case?

Sources: Slate, DPA, Reuters, New York Times, CNN