The historic New York criminal trial of Donald Trump, the former US Republican President, will be conducted by 12 jurors who were painstakingly chosen last week. This process sought individuals who could adopt a neutral stance during the trial that is set to take place in Manhattan, his old stomping ground and a Democratic stronghold. In order to ensure their privacy, restrictions have been placed on media coverage relating to the jury members’ employers and any other identifying details unless officially stated on record, like age or gender.
The first juror, and the foreperson, is an Irish immigrant residing in West Harlem who has almost three decades of sales experience. This juror receives news from outlets like The New York Times and Fox News. They have admitted to being aware of Trump’s three other ongoing criminal proceedings to which he maintains his innocence.
The second juror is wedded and resides in Midtown Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen. Employed as an investment banker, this individual holds a Masters degree in Business Administration. Their news intake is largely through a social media platform, X, and they follow Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and now a prosecution witness.
Third in line is a corporate lawyer who, despite being an Oregon native, resides in the upscale Chelsea neighbourhood of Manhattan. They confessed to being only vaguely aware of other cases pending against the former president and only sporadically check the New York Times and Wall Street Journal for news.
The fourth juror is a California-born individual who resides in the West Village with a spouse and three children. Having worked as a security engineer for the past 25 years, this individual completes their education at high school level and attended some college. They prefer to get their news from a mix of sources and do not use social media.
The jury also includes a self-identifying person of colour and a lifetime New Yorker resident in Harlem. The fifth juror holds a masters degree in education and has an eight-year experience as an English teacher. They find news indifferent and largely obtain their information via Google and TikTok.
The sixth jury member, a native of New York City, is in possession of a bachelor’s degree and is employed as a software developer for a large-scale media and entertainment corporation. Coming mostly from the New York Times and TikTok, they primarily consume their news.
The role of the seventh juror is performed by a lawyer from a substantial corporate law firm. Originally from North Carolina, they’ve resided in the Upper East Side for over a decade, maintaining a wealth of contacts in the fields of finance and law, inclusive of their spouse.
The eighth juror, originally from Lebanon, found their home in the Upper East Side around 1980. Now retired, they previously played the role of a money manager for an eminent financial organisation, while continuing their interaction with certain clients. They get their information from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BBC, and CNBC.
The ninth juror, New Jersey born and now a resident of Upper East Side for three years, holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree, and worked as a speech therapy professional for half a decade. They occasionally engage with The New York Times and CNN podcasts for news.
Hailing from Ohio, The tenth juror, living in Murray Hill for six years, contributes to an eyewear firm and shares their house with a person in the field of accountancy. They too have a bachelor’s degree.
Juror eleven, a Californian by birth and Upper Manhattan resident for the past 15 years, is a product development manager for a globally operating clothing firm. They use Google and certain field-specific magazines for their news intake.
The twelfth and last juror, while principally living on the Upper East Side for close to three years, also spent time in Minnesota and few other states. They hold a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate in physical therapy, and for the past 15 years, have been practising as a physical therapist. They stay updated through The New York Times, USA Today, and CNN, while also regularly tuning into religion and sports-centric podcasts. – Source: Thomson Reuters 2024