The first criminal trial of a former U.S. president is approaching its conclusion as the jury prepares to deliberate.
Today in People v. Trump: The Case Heads to the Jury
Following the delivery of jury instructions, which are anticipated to take about an hour, the jury will begin deliberations in Donald Trump’s criminal trial. The former president faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
After a marathon day of closing arguments, the court is scheduled to reconvene at 10 a.m. Justice Juan Merchan will commence proceedings by delivering a jury charge, expected to last approximately an hour. During this time, Merchan will guide the jurors on how to interpret the relevant laws and navigate the verdict sheet, the document on which they will record their decisions. To convict or acquit Trump on each count, the jury must reach a unanimous decision.
Once Merchan completes his instructions, the 12 Manhattan residents on the jury can begin their deliberations, discussing the case for the first time since the trial began last month. These discussions will be confidential and could extend over hours, days, or even weeks.
Closing Arguments Recap
Yesterday, the jury heard closing arguments from both Trump’s defense team and the prosecution, each presenting starkly different interpretations of the evidence.
Defense attorney Todd Blanche characterized witness Michael Cohen as the cornerstone of the prosecution’s case, emphasizing Cohen’s history of lying under oath and accusing him of committing perjury during his testimony.
“He’s the human embodiment of reasonable doubt. Literally,” Blanche asserted about Cohen. “He lied to you repeatedly. He lied many, many, many times before you even met him.”
In contrast, Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass focused on the documentary evidence, describing Cohen as a “tour guide” through physical evidence that, he argued, proves Trump’s guilt.
Steinglass highlighted handwritten calculations by Trump Organization executives, referring to them as “smoking guns” that indicate an illegal scheme to reimburse Cohen for the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. He also cited a phone call between Trump and tabloid publisher David Pecker, discussing a hush money payment to Karen McDougal.
“This is powerful evidence of the defendant’s involvement, wholly apart from Cohen,” Steinglass stated.
As the jury begins its deliberations, the nation awaits their verdict with bated breath. Soon, we may learn whether the jury finds Trump guilty or not guilty of the charges against him.
