Depending on their politics, media diets and views on Donald J. Trump, any one could join the group of 12 citizens who will sit in judgment of him.
Not until midafternoon Tuesday did Mr. Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors select the first six jurors for the case, which centers on allegations that the former president falsified documents to cover up a sex scandal involving a porn star.
Dozens were dismissed after saying they could not be fair, underscoring the towering task of trying a former president in a city where he is deeply unpopular.
The lawyers reached the heart of the selection process early in the afternoon, when they began bringing individual people from the jury pool back into the courtroom to question them alone as they debated who should be dismissed.
But that process was quickly interrupted when the judge, Juan M. Merchan, scolded Mr. Trump for muttering and gesturing while one of the potential jurors was being interviewed.
Persons:
“, Donald J, Juan M, Merchan, Mr, Trump
Organizations:
East, Yorkers, Trump, muttering
Locations:
Mexico, Harlem, Lower Manhattan, American