Trump trial live updates: Jury of 12 now seated to hear historic hush money case

Donald Trump was back in court for day three of his hush money trial in New York on Thursday, where 12 jurors were selected to hear evidence in the historic criminal trial brought against the former president by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg.

The day began with a step backwards as two of the seven jurors confirmed on Tuesday had to be excused over concerns regarding impartiality and how easily they could be identified.

Judge Juan Merchan has been hopeful that the remaining jurors and alternates could be selected by the end of the week with opening statements to begin on Monday. The pace quickened dramatically on Thursday afternoon when a full panel was reached and one alternate was chosen.

Five more are needed. Another panel of potential jurors has been sworn in for tomorrow’s session.

Mr Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election to ensure her silence about an alleged affair in 2006. He denies the affair and has pleaded not guilty.

Alex Woodward writes:

The big development today is that 12 New Yorkers could be the first jury to convict any American president, who happens to be from New York too.

They come from all over Manhattan, with different professional backgrounds, genders, interests and family lives. At least one person isn’t from the US originally.

All have promised — unlike Trump — to judge their fellow New Yorker fairly and impartially.

The 12 Manhattan residents who will ultimately decide the fate of former president Donald Trump in his New York criminal trial were selected on Thursday.

After three days of jury selection, in which hundreds of Manhattan residents were called to the New York