United States – Wrapped in the fabric of media attention, both Catherine Nestor, a New York City social worker who couldn’t be late for a jury duty summons, and Donald Trump, the first former U.S. President ever put on trial, were about to take their places at Manhattan’s criminal courthouse at 9 am.
Trump’s convoy
Trump was sitting in the back of a large black Chevrolet SUV with bullet-proof windows, surrounding the motorcade on his way downtown from his penthouse on 5th Avenue inside the Trump Tower, which was about to begin trials on Monday with jury selection, as reported by Reuters.
Nestor was there, a little messenger on foot, jockeying with other New Yorkers around the metallic police barriers.
A New Yorker in the crowd questioned a probation officer in the courthouse complex beyond, asking, “What’s the delay for?”
A state court system uniformed security guard answered, “A big trial.”
The policemen in the police cars turned on the flashing lights against the warm spring sunshine. Reporters and photographers hovered around, some Trump supporters stood with large Trump flags, and one man played patriotic melodies on a flute, everybody bracing for the candidate’s arrival.
Nestor, 38, did not know why she was on the jury, and if, unfortunately, she were involved in the Trump case, she would have to be disqualified.
“I’m biased,” Nestor said, imagining how quickly her turn at jury selection would go: “‘Do you think he’s guilty-,’ ‘Yes!'”
Predictably, the process of assembling a jury out of the mass of people from a left-leaning Manhattan would take several days. Attorneys for Trump and the prosecution will try to eliminate biases and agendas before putting 12 jurors and 6 alternates into service.
Trump, however, was arrested by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and later denied the charges for fictional business keeping, as per the records of his 2016 campaign for the White House.
More than a score of the brightest TV journalists, who were very well dressed, each stating in front of cameras facing the Art Deco towers of the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse their pledge to report on the intricacies of the case and its stakes.
In a small crowd ahead, a mob of print and radio Journalists with Press Credentials around their necks looked shaken as they listened to the words of a court security officer.
The auditorium was packed, and everyone could not fit inside. “The courtroom is full, and so is the overflow,” the officer declared. “You’ll have to try again tomorrow.” Those who were fast enough to get an inside pass did so by lining up as early as three hours before the 10 am start.
Mixed Reactions Among Supporters
Chaim Herman, a 17-year-old yeshiva student from Brooklyn who was seen in April recording videos of himself by the largest of the Trump flags, said he thinks the vote will be the same as his plan to vote for Trump in November.
“I would not go blindly for Trump; it could be that something was going on,” he said, adding that he was happy to let a jury decide.
The flag was placed by Dion Cini from the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood in Brooklyn, who owns a business that sells Trump flags, among other things. Unlike John, he said the sales were a bit slow for the moment, but he still hoped that the trial would help increase the popularity of Trump and his business.
“That’s one of my smaller flags,” he said. “I want Democrats to see we’re not scared of them. A bunch of animals.”
Trump’s Arrival
At 9:01 a.m., Trump’s motorcade Came down to the back of the courthouse, which was not visible to most bystanders.
The last president walked in, holding a small suitcase in his hand, wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt, and a red tie, and pumping his fist into the air before moving up to the courtroom.
On the corner of the building, Nestor learned, to her surprise, that she had been selected as a potential juror for Trump’s trial. She was rejected in the first trial court step after being informed that the trial would last at least eight weeks, as reported by Reuters.
She is taking a getaway in May.
“I’m disappointed!” she texted. It would have been awesome to see how they further eliminated people for this trial.”