aff ir med ▁on ▁ 6 ▁January ▁by ▁a ▁vote ▁of ▁ 2 9 ▁to ▁ 2 6 ▁with ▁An ▁Act ▁of ▁the ▁Commons ▁Ass emble d ▁in ▁Parliament . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁commission ers ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁ 1 3 5 ▁any ▁twenty ▁of ▁whom ▁would ▁form ▁a ▁qu orum ▁when ▁the ▁jud ges , ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁and ▁others ▁who ▁might ▁be ▁sympath etic ▁to ▁the ▁King ▁were ▁removed . ▁ ▁The ▁commission ers ▁met ▁to ▁make ▁arrang ements ▁for ▁the ▁trial ▁on ▁ 8 ▁January ▁when ▁well ▁under ▁half ▁were ▁present ▁a ▁pattern ▁that ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁repeated ▁at ▁subsequent ▁sessions . ▁On ▁ 1 0 ▁January , ▁John ▁Brad sh aw ▁was ▁chosen ▁as ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Court . ▁During ▁the ▁following ▁ten ▁days , ▁arrang ements ▁for ▁the ▁trial ▁were ▁completed ; ▁the ▁charges ▁were ▁final ised ▁and ▁the ▁evidence ▁to ▁be ▁presented ▁was ▁collected . ▁ ▁Tri al ▁ ▁The ▁trial ▁began ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁January ▁ 1 6 4 9 ▁in ▁West min ster ▁Hall , ▁with ▁a ▁moment ▁of ▁high ▁drama . ▁After ▁the ▁proceed ings ▁were ▁declared ▁open , ▁Sol ic itor ▁General ▁John ▁Cook ▁rose ▁to ▁announ ce ▁the ▁ind ict ment ; ▁standing ▁immediately ▁to ▁the ▁right ▁of ▁the ▁King , ▁he ▁began ▁to ▁speak , ▁but ▁he ▁had ▁utter ed ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁words ▁when ▁Charles ▁attempted ▁to ▁stop ▁him ▁by ▁t apping ▁him ▁sharp ly ▁on ▁the ▁shoulder ▁with ▁his