The hush-money trial questionnaire asks about media consumed by prospective jurors and whether jurors have ever supported groups like the QAnon movement or Proud Boys.
But jurors will be asked if they read the NY Times, and if they ascribe to QAnon beliefs.
Questions about whether a prospective juror likes or dislikes Trump have no relevance to actual bias or fairmindedness, despite defense arguments to the contrary, wrote the judge, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan.
"Such questions are irrelevant because they do not go to the issue of the prospective juror's qualifications," Merchan wrote in a 17-page letter to prosecutors and the defense.
Instead, it will suffice if prospects are asked if they can be fair, Merchan wrote.
In 2022, it took three days to pick the Manhattan jury that convicted Trump Organization in a 15-year scheme to dodge payroll taxes by giving executives off-the-books compensation. Many in that trial's jury pool had strong feelings against Trump.
"The ultimate issue is whether the prospective juror can assure us that they will set aside any personal feelings or biases and render a decision that is based on the evidence and the law," Merchan wrote on Monday.
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