First criminal trial of former US president kicks off

The first criminal trial of a former president in US history is underway Monday in a crowded Manhattan courtroom, with both sides preparing for the arduous task of seating a 12-person jury in the case of The People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump. This trial is receiving intense media coverage and very great political interest, as it is the first criminal trial in the history of the United States of a former or current president. It may lead to a prison sentence for Trump and thus affect the current presidential election campaign. Trump is charged with 34 state counts of falsifying business records related to a "hush money" payment his attorney made before the 2016 election. If the former president is sentenced to prison, this will not prevent him from assuming the presidency if he wins the presidential elections scheduled for next November, but Trump fears the possible impact of the sentence on his chances of winning against current President Joe Biden. Source: Kuwait News Agency