Jury selection is now complete in Trump’s hush money trial: Twelve jurors and six alternates have been seated, and opening statements are set to begin Monday. And though a jury of a dozen New Yorkers may seem like a slam dunk for prosecutors — especially considering that some of those jurors acknowledged negative views about the former president — it would only take one to make the case go Trump’s way.
The 12-person panel would need to be unanimous for a conviction or an acquittal. But if there’s a hopeless deadlock, the judge would declare a mistrial — and for Trump, that might be nearly as good as an acquittal.
In the event of a mistrial, prosecutors could in theory start fresh and force Trump to stand trial again, with a new jury. But it would be a PR disaster for the prosecution and further delay the case. Trump, meanwhile, would hope to win election in November — and if he did, the case would likely freeze.
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