For this episode of Trump's Trials, we hand the mic over to Consider This.

Host Juana Summers speaks with defense lawyer Daniel Horwitz.

As the first criminal trial for a former U.S. president got under way in New York, Donald Trump looked on as prosecution and defense teams presented their opening statements to the jury.

The former president is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, a felony in New York if done to cover up another crime.

The prosecution argued hush money payments made by former Trump fixer Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels were to buy her silence about an alleged affair with Trump. And were made at the former president's direction with the intention of influencing the 2016 election.

The defense countered it was not illegal to affect the outcome of an election and that Cohen had handled the specifics of the hush money payments.

Topics include:
- Why the prosecution is arguing election fraud
- The role Michael Cohen's credibility as a witness will play
- What to look out for as the trial continues

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For this episode of Trump's Trials, NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro speaks with NPR political reporter Ximena Bustillo and University of Baltimore law professor Kim Wehle.

The first week of former President Donald Trump's hush money trial is in the books and a jury has now been seated.

Each potential juror had to answer dozens of questions and prove they could remain fair and impartial when weighing the fate of the former president, who watched the selection process from his seat in the courtroom.

Now seated, the jury will hear opening arguments in the trial beginning on Monday.

Topics include:
- What we know and can safely say about the jurors selected
- Safety concerns and security measures for jurors' protection
- Predictions for each side's case in Monday's opening arguments

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For this episode of Trump's Trials, All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang speaks with NPR political reporter Ximena Bustillo and domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef.

Twelve jurors and six alternates have been selected in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial.

The jury is comprised of seven men and five women, all of whom will remain anonymous for security reasons. On Thursday one juror who had been seated for the trial voiced concern that identifying information about her had been in the media. She was dismissed from duty. That brought to light a very real concern — keeping jurors safe and protecting their identities.

Topics include:
- Jury selection process
- Juror privacy
- Security measures

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For this episode of Trump's Trials, All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR political reporter Ximena Bustillo.

After just three days of jury selection, 12 New Yorkers have been seated in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial.

Trump is charged with 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

The 12 are made up of seven men and five women, all of whom said they could be fair and impartial to Trump. Judge Juan Merchan hopes to select five alternates on Friday. Opening statements could begin as early as Monday.

Topics include:
- Jury selection process
- Trump in the courtroom

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For this episode of Trump's Trials, All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang speaks with NPR's Andrea Bernstein.

Today marks the start of former President Donald Trump's first criminal trial. He is charged with 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records. Trump was in the courtroom for the day's events.

The morning was filled with pre-trial rulings by Judge Juan Merchan related to evidence and testimony. In the afternoon, 96 potential jurors entered the courtroom where they were asked a series of questions about subjects like their ability to be fair, their occupation and where they get their news. Some were excused while others advanced into the next round of questioning. Jury selection is expected to take two weeks.

Topics include:
- Trump in the courtroom
- Decisions on evidence and testimony
- Potential jurors questioned

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For this episode of Trump's Trials, we hand the mic over to Consider This.

On Monday, former President Donald Trump will enter a Manhattan courtroom for his first criminal trial. But before a verdict can be rendered a jury must be selected. And for Trump's legal team that is going to be a challenge.

A small number of attorneys have faced a similar challenge — how do you select an impartial jury when your client is famous?

Host Scott Detrow speaks with attorney Camille Vasquez for insight into the art of jury selection in such a case. She represented Johnny Depp in his defamation suit against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Topics include:
- Jury selection
- Jury questionnaire
- Questioning potential jurors
- What to look for in a juror

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This week on Trump's Trials, host Scott Detrow and Domenico Montanaro are joined by lawyer and former ambassador Norm Eisen.

On Monday, former President Donald Trump will enter a Manhattan courtroom as a defendant in a criminal trial. This will be the first time in American history a former president has faced criminal prosecution. Trump is charged with 34 counts related to falsifying businesses records. The prosecutor intends to connect alleged hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to interference in the 2016 election.

Topics include:
- Election connection to hush money case
- Jury questionnaire
- Key players

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for new episodes each Saturday.

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This week on Trump's Trials, host Scott Detrow is joined by NPR Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson and NYU law professor Melissa Murray.

This week Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed one of former President Donald Trump's motions to dismiss the Florida classified documents case. Trump argued that when he left the White House he designated the highly sensitive documents as "personal" under the Presidential Records Act.

But Cannon has not prevented Trump from using that same argument as part of his defense — something Special Counsel Jack Smith pushed back against in a recent brief.

Topics include:
- Presidential Records Act
- Jury instructions
- Gag order in hush money case
- Civil fraud bond

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For this episode of Trump's Trials, All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro speaks with Reuters reporter Ned Parker.

On Monday Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the New York hush money case, expanded a gag order to protect his own family. That's after former President Donald Trump repeatedly attacked the judge's daughter on Truth Social. In his ruling Judge Merchan wrote, "the threat is very real."

This follows a recent report out from Reuters that found threats against federal judges, prosecutors, judicial staff and court buildings has tripled since 2015. Judges in federal Trump-related cases often receive death threats, credible enough to warrant protection from the U.S. Marshals Service.

Topics include:
- Increase in threats
- Connection to Trump
- Judges and U.S. Marshals' response

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for new episodes each Saturday.

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This week on Trump's Trials, host Scott Detrow is joined by retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

In Breyer's new book Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism, Breyer explains why he finds textualism's popularity troublesome.

Textualism is the legal theory that argues the correct way to interpret the Constitution and statutes is to read the text as it was understood at the time the documents were written. Pragmatism, the legal theory Breyer favors, takes current social and political context into consideration when formulating a legal opinion.

In Breyer's view, textualism can weaken the public's faith in the rule of law and poses risks for the health of nation.

However, Breyer was reluctant to comment on cases pending before the court, like former President Donald Trump's claim he is immune from criminal prosecution because of presidential immunity.

Topics include:
- Pragmatism vs. textualism
- Public opinion of the court
- Trump and immunity

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