Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

Twelve Jurors and One Angry Ex-President

Apr 20, 2024

Slate's senior legal writer Mark Joseph Stern discusses the challenges and pitfalls of the first criminal trial of a former President. They cover the jury selection process in Manhattan, concerns about armed insurrection, civil rights protections in the workplace, and exclusive SCOTUS analysis for Slate Plus members.

38:49

Episode guests

Mark Joseph Stern

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The jury selection process for Trump's trial faces unique challenges, requiring impartial jurors without strong opinions of Trump.

The presence of lawyers among potential jurors adds complexity, potentially influencing others' opinions based on legal understanding.

Opening arguments in Trump's trial will reveal prosecution's narrative and introduction of witnesses, shaping the case's unfolding story.

Deep dives

Challenges in Selecting Jurors

The jury selection process for former President Trump's trial faces unique challenges. While the Manhattan jury pool is not Trump friendly, finding jurors without strong opinions of Trump is essential. The defense and prosecution navigated the difficulty of selecting an impartial jury, with some jurors expressing negative views of Trump. The process involved questioning potential jurors about their opinions on Trump and their ability to be impartial, highlighting the complexity of the selection process.

Introduction

4min

Inside Look at President Trump's Criminal Trial in NYC Courtroom

3min

Jury Selection Challenges in the Trump Trial

8min

Juror Opinions on Trump and Sponsor Highlight

2min

Legal Challenges and Intimidation

9min

Legal complexities and public perceptions in a high-profile trial

5min

Legal Trial Involving Former President and Trial Preview

3min

Exclusive Court Case Analysis for Slate Plus Members

2min

Get your tickets for Amicus Live in Washington DC here.

The first criminal trial of Donald Trump is finally here. This week, hundreds of possible jurors filed through Judge Juan Merchan’s courtroom in lower Manhattan. The selection process was a preview of some of the challenges and pitfalls in the first ever criminal trial of a sitting or former President. On this week’s show, Slate’s senior legal writer Mark Joseph Stern sits down with Slate jurisprudence editor and Chief Law of Trump™ correspondent Jeremy Stahl to discuss what we learned this week, and what we can expect when the trial truly gets underway next week.

In today’s bonus episode only for Slate Plus members, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern welcome Justice Clarence Thomas back from his long weekend, with a close listen to the January 6th case that was argued before the court on Tuesday. Fischer v United States is raising more alarm bells about the conservative justices’ posture toward armed insurrection. They also dig into Justice Elena Kagan’s opinion in a potentially tricky TitleVII case that, miraculously for this court, went pretty well in terms of civil rights protections in the workplace. Listen now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes of Amicus, but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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