A jury of six men and three women was chosen Tuesday to hear a former advice columnist’s lawsuit accusing former President Donald Trump of raping her in the 1990s. Opening statements were expected later in the day.
The federal civil trial stands to tests Trump’s “Teflon Don” reputation for shaking off serious legal problems and to reprise accounts of the type of sexual misconduct that rocked his 2016 presidential campaign as he seeks office again. He denies E. Jean Carroll’s claim and all the others, saying they were falsehoods spun up to damage him.
The jurors were selected after questioning about not only their background but their news-watching habits and more.
They were asked whether they had made political donations, supported any of a roster of right- and left-wing groups, used Trump’s social media platform, read Carroll’s former Elle magazine column and even if they’d seen Trump’s former reality show “The Apprentice” — and whether any of these and other matters would make it difficult for them to be fair.
Jurors’ names will be kept secret and they’ll be escorted to and from the courthouse to avoid any harassment or invasions of privacy, U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said.
Ranging in age from 26 to 66, the group includes a janitor, a physical therapist and people who work in security, health care collections, a library, a high school and other settings. One said she follows news by watching “everything”; another said he didn’t follow it at all.
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