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Can Trump Get a Fair Trial in D.C.? Juror Transcripts Give a Clue.

NOTUS examined trial transcripts of jury selections in high-profile politically-charged federal cases held in D.C. The results often aren’t what you might expect.

Donald Trump AP-23341655176589
“You aren’t entitled to a jury of people who share your politics, you’re just entitled to an impartial jury.” Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP

Donald Trump has now spent years complaining about Washington, D.C., insisting there’s no chance he could get a fair trial in the district on the federal charges related to his alleged attempts to change the 2020 election results.

He may have half a point.

A NOTUS review of jury selection transcripts for other politically sensitive cases in Washington, along with interviews with former federal prosecutors and defense attorneys who have represented high-profile D.C. clients, found that, indeed, Republicans rarely find a particularly friendly jury in D.C. — but it has still been possible to put together an open-minded panel of jurors who say they are willing to listen to the defense, a cornerstone of the legal process.