On Thursday, a group of twelve jurors was sworn in to provide a verdict on Donald Trump in the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president. Following a full day of intense questioning by prosecutors and Trump’s legal team of several possible jurors, Judge Juan Merchan declared, “We have our jury.” Opening arguments in the highly anticipated case are scheduled on Monday, according to Merchan, who expressed hopes of finishing the selection of six alternate jurors on Friday. The 77-year-old Trump is accused of fabricating business papers to hide a sexual encounter with a porn star on the day of his 2016 election triumph. He is running to retake the White House in November. He entered a not guilty plea. As of Tuesday, seven jurors had been chosen; however, on Thursday, two of the jurors who had already taken the oath of office were released, leaving five jurors. One was excused because she thought her identity had been discovered, and the other because she had questions about the veracity of his responses when questioned. On Thursday afternoon, seven jurors and one alternate were chosen. Raising their right hands in a solemn manner, they vowed to hear the case in a “fair and impartial manner.” Appearing in a dark suit and blue tie, Trump saw the jurors taking the oath of office calmly from the defence table. READ ALSO: New York Will Host Trump’s Historic Criminal Trial Merchan requested on Thursday that journalists cease supplying physical descriptions of prospective jurors and refrain from disclosing their places of employment in order to preserve the identity of the New Yorkers who are chosen at random to serve on juries. Trump’s conviction will need a unanimous vote. Prosecutors and defence lawyers interrogated prospective jurors about their schooling, political donations, media consumption, and whether or not they had ever attended a pro- or anti-Trump demonstration. About half of the first group of 96 jurors to enter the courtroom on Thursday were swiftly excused for their inability to serve as fair and unbiased jurors in a case involving one of the most well-known and contentious individuals in the nation. A prospective juror stated that he was raised in Italy and that “Mr. Trump and Silvio Berlusconi,” the late Italian prime minister, have been closely associated by the Italian media. He remarked, “It would be a little difficult for me to maintain my impartiality and fairness.” He was given permission. Judge’s warning The trial, which is scheduled to run six to eight weeks, coincides with Trump’s opponent, Democratic President Joe Biden, in an attempt to make an unexpected comeback to the