The jurors in Trump’s hush money trial are getting a front row seat to history -- most of the time

A gag order. The House Speaker turning up outside court. Angry denouncements of the judge overseeing the case.

Some of the most explosive moments in Donald Trump’s hush money trial have played out for most of the world to see — except for the people who are actually deciding his fate: the jury.

The 12-person panel is shown evidence and witness testimony so they can decide whether the former president is guilty of a scheme to buy up and bury seamy stories in an effort to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election. But it’s a highly curated experience; jurors are not getting the full picture seen by those who follow along each day.

They don’t even witness Trump enter or exit the courtroom. He’s already there by the time they are brought into the room, and he stays until they are dismissed.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«Read more» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Read more </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Cohen gives insider details at trial as Trump’s defense attorney accuses him of seeking vengeance </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Here’s what happened in Trump’s hush money trial yesterday </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Who’s who at Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial? Meet the key players </bsp-custom-headline> </bsp-list-loadmore>

This is by design. Laws carefully govern how a criminal case is tried to ensure that a jury’s decision on guilt or innocence isn’t affected by fights over evidence or other legal sparring. It’s routine to hold back a jury while trial lawyers argue with the judge about