Nine Madrid residents will decide the fate of Begoña Gómez, but the process starts with a list of 2,846 names. Each person could be called to serve in Spain’s most-watched trial in years. This time, ordinary people, alongside legal experts, will weigh the evidence and deliver the verdict.
The large list is deliberate. Madrid’s Provincial Court sent out notifications in September 2024, after a lottery run by the Electoral Census Office. The rules come from the Ley Orgánica 5/1995 del Tribunal del Jurado. The law says the list must be fifty times bigger than the number of jury trials expected in Madrid over the next two years. Everyone on the list is a resident of legal age and has been formally notified of their civic duty. They can also ask to be excluded if they meet certain legal requirements.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado officially sent Begoña Gómez to a jury trial on September 21, 2026, on charges of influence peddling and embezzlement of public funds. Her assistant, Cristina Álvarez, has also been sent to trial as a necessary cooperator in the alleged embezzlement episode. The next procedural steps will take place in Madrid’s Provincial Court, including the appointment of the jury and preparation for the intermediate phase before the final selection.
Getting from 2,846 to the final nine takes several steps. For the Gómez trial, a separate draw will pick 36 people from the basic list. They can ask to be excused for a valid reason, including being over 65 or having served on a jury recently. Serious family or work issues may also qualify. The court will hold a hearing to review these requests. At least 20 eligible candidates must remain for the next step.
Once the pool is set, prosecutors and defense lawyers can question the candidates about almost anything except their political party ties. Each side gets four vetoes. If there are several parties on either side, they must coordinate their choices. Once the vetoes are used, the next person in line cannot be blocked. When only 11 candidates remain, the jury is set: nine members and two alternates. They will hear the case and decide the facts in court.
Jurors must act independently and follow the law. Their verdict will answer the questions set by the presiding judge and decide whether Begoña Gómez is acquitted or convicted. The judge will then write the formal sentence, but the basic decision belongs to the jury.
Spain’s jury system is not new, but it rarely gets this much attention. The process is open and large in scale. Every candidate receives a certified letter. The system is built on the idea that ordinary people can be trusted to judge serious cases. It also has safeguards: people can ask to be excused, while the veto process is tightly controlled to keep things fair.
For those watching how Spanish legal rules change, this case recalls other moments when courts have changed what citizen participation means. As reported earlier, Supreme Court decisions can set new standards for thousands, not just those in the courtroom.
The jury selection for Begoña Gómez’s trial is more than a formality. It tests Spain’s promise to let citizens decide major legal questions, while exposing the strengths and weak spots of relying on ordinary people in cases that matter to the whole country. As the final nine are chosen, Spain will be watching the process as closely as the verdict, measuring fairness and openness alongside public trust in its toughest legal fights.
