FULL JURY OF 12 PEOPLE AND 6 ALTERNATES SEATED IN TRUMP'S HUSH MONEY TRIAL IN NEW YORK

NEW DELHI: A jury comprising 12 individuals and six alternates was seated on Friday for the hush money criminal trial involving former US President Donald Trump.

The completion of the jury selection process marks the first criminal trial of a former US president, with allegations of Trump falsifying business records to suppress stories about his personal life during the 2016 election. The jury features a diverse group, including a sales professional, a software engineer, an English teacher, and multiple lawyers.

The jury selection process initially progressed swiftly, with seven jurors selected by Tuesday. However, two jurors were dismissed on Thursday, one citing concerns about impartiality and the other facing questions about past disclosures on whether he had provided accurate answers.

This hush money case is the first of Trump's four indictments to proceed to trial, centering around a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels by Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and personal fixer to prevent her allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump from going public in 2016.

Trump has denied the alleged encounters and pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records.

Despite facing legal challenges on multiple fronts, including the hush money trial and lawsuits related to the Capitol attack, Trump has voiced his concerns about the gag order limiting his public statements regarding the trial. He has lashed out on social media about the judge, prosecutors and potential witnesses.

It's possible that this case will be the only one to go to trial before the presidential election in November. Facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, Trump could potentially receive up to four years in prison if found guilty, though it's uncertain whether the judge would opt for imprisonment. Trump would likely appeal any conviction.

Legal processes, including appeals, have caused delays in cases accusing Trump of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results and unlawfully withholding classified documents.

Following the Thursday court proceedings, Trump expressed discontent to reporters, stating he should have been campaigning instead of attending what he deemed a "very unfair trial."

"Everybody's outraged by it," he said. "You know the whole world's watching this New York scam," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)