Judge Juan Merchan ordered a lunch recess at 1pm during the trial of former President Trump's hush money payment case on Tuesday. The court is scheduled to reconvene at 2 pm, where lawyers for Trump and the prosecution will continue questioning the remaining jury candidates.
Out of the initial pool of 96 jurors, only six are left to be interviewed. So far, 73 jurors have been dismissed due to reasons such as bias, health concerns, or scheduling conflicts.
During Tuesday's hearing, Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, conducted questioning sessions with groups of jurors in 30-minute intervals. Prosecutors were also given the same amount of time for questioning. Throughout this process, Trump was observed to be actively engaged, listening attentively to the jurors' responses.
Blanche focused his inquiries on the jurors' opinions of Trump, with many stating that they either held neutral views or could set aside any preconceived notions for the sake of a fair trial.
