Second day of trial

Seven jurors found for Trump trial

Donald Trump with his lawyer Todd Blanche(Bild: AFP)

After a somewhat bumpy start to the trial in the "hush money affair", seven jurors have now been found in the first criminal trial against a former US president. The search for the five more jurors needed could take several more days. 

In the trial against Donald Trump in connection with hush money payments to a porn actress, representatives of the prosecution and defense as well as Judge Juan Merchan interviewed further candidates on Tuesday before agreeing on seven jurors for the time being.

The trial is due to continue on Thursday. In the trial, the prosecution is accusing Trump of falsifying business documents. The Republican, who wants to return to the White House in November, has pleaded not guilty.

Judge Juan M. Merchan(Bild: AP)

Several years in prison
If convicted, the 77-year-old faces a prison sentence of several years, which could also be suspended and against which Trump could also appeal.

The background to the case is that Trump had 130,000 US dollars in hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 shortly before his election as president. She had claimed to have had sex with him. Trump denies an affair, but not that money was paid.

Non-disclosure agreements between two parties are not illegal in principle. However, Trump is accused of unlawfully accounting for the payments, illegally attempting to conceal them and using them to cover up other breaches of the law.

Trump behind "bars" - here he speaks to a journalist after the second day of the trial, looking like a statue.(Bild: Mark Peterson-Pool/Getty Images/AFP POOL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Donald Trump with lawyer Todd Blanche(Bild: AFP)

Trump's lawyers had tried until the very end to avert, postpone or at least delay the trial. Even in the event of a conviction and even a prison sentence in this case, Trump is likely to run in the presidential election.

Trump's lawyers are trying to block proceedings
Three other criminal trials against Trump are currently in preparation in the USA, including for attempted election fraud and taking secret government documents. Numerous civil proceedings are also underway. The former president and his legal team are trying to block the proceedings by any means necessary and have already been successful in some cases.