Half of the first group of potential jurors for Donald Trump's hush money trial were sent home on Monday, April 15.
Although roughly 500 people were summoned to court, more than 50 of the first group of 96 possible jury members were dismissed after confessing they did not believe they could truly be impartial.
Judge Merchan addressed the court to explain the details of the case that same day.
"The allegations are, in substance, that Donald Trump falsified business records to conceal an agreement with others to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election," he said. "Specifically, it is alleged that Donald Trump made or caused false business records to hide the true nature of payments made to Michael Cohen, by characterizing them as payment for legal services rendered pursuant to a retainer agreement."
"The People allege that in fact, the payments were intended to reimburse Michael Cohen for money he paid to Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, in the weeks before the presidential election to prevent her from publicly revealing details about a past sexual encounter with Donald Trump," Judge Merchan concluded.
Trump currently faces 34 counts of falsifying business records. The judge noted to the courtroom that the former POTUS pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The potential jurors were given a 42-question quiz that included questions on whether they support QAnon and which television news channels they got their information from on a regular basis.
One of the other questions was: "Do you have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about former President Donald Trump, or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?"
Many admitted they were not able. One woman replied, "I just couldn't do it."
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As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Trump was indicted by a grand jury in March 2023 in connection with "hush money" payments made to the adult film star to keep her from speaking publicly about their reported sexual history.
The pair allegedly had an intimate encounter after meeting at a celebrity golf tournament in 2006 — one year after Trump tied the knot with his current wife, Melania.
The Daily Mail reported the courtroom comments from the judge and potential jurors.