Jurors in Donald Trump含羞草研究社檚 are expected to begin deliberations Wednesday after receiving instructions from the judge on the law and the factors they may consider as they strive to reach a verdict in the first criminal case against a former American president.
The deliberations follow a in which a Manhattan prosecutor accused Trump of trying to 含羞草研究社渉oodwink含羞草研究社� voters in the 2016 presidential election by participating in a meant to stifle embarrassing stories he feared would torpedo his campaign.
含羞草研究社淭he name of the game was concealment, and all roads lead inescapably to the man who benefited the most: the defendant, former President Donald Trump,含羞草研究社� prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told jurors.
Trump含羞草研究社檚 lawyer, by contrast, branded the star prosecution witness as the 含羞草研究社済reatest liar of all time含羞草研究社� as he proclaimed his client innocent of all charges and pressed the panel for an across-the-board acquittal.
The lawyers含羞草研究社� dueling accounts, wildly divergent in their assessments of witness credibility, Trump含羞草研究社檚 culpability and the strength of evidence, offered both sides one final chance to score points with the jury as it prepares to embark upon the momentous and historically unprecedented task of deciding whether to convict the presumptive Republican presidential nominee ahead of the November election.
Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, charges punishable by up to four years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. It含羞草研究社檚 unclear whether prosecutors would seek imprisonment in the event of a conviction, or if the judge would impose that punishment.
Jurors will have the option of convicting Trump of all counts, acquitting him of all counts, or delivering a mixed verdict in which he is found guilty of some charges and not others. If they deadlock after several days of deliberations and are unable to reach a unanimous verdict, Judge Juan M. Merchan may declare a mistrial.
The trial featured allegations that Trump and his allies conspired to stifle potentially embarrassing stories during the 2016 presidential campaign through hush money payments, including to who alleged that she and Trump had sex a decade earlier. His lawyer Todd Blanche told jurors that neither the actor, Stormy Daniels, nor the Trump attorney who paid her, , can be trusted.
含羞草研究社淧resident Trump is innocent. He did not commit any crimes, and the district attorney has not met their burden of proof, period,含羞草研究社� Blanche said.
With the start of deliberations just hours away, Trump posted on his social media network Wednesday morning before leaving Trump Tower for the courthouse, making another all-caps rant about the trial, the judge and Cohen.
He called it a 含羞草研究社淜angaroo Court!含羞草研究社� and falsely claimed that the judge barred him from defending himself by claiming that his alleged actions were taken on the advice of his then-lawyer, Cohen. Trump含羞草研究社檚 lawyers in March notified the court that they would not rely on that defense.
含羞草研究社淭here was no crime, except for the bum that got caught stealing from me!含羞草研究社� Trump said, apparently referring to Cohen. He added, again in all capital letters, 含羞草研究社淚n God We Trust!含羞草研究社�
Steinglass sought to defray potential juror concerns about witness credibility. Trump, for instance, has repeatedly attacked Cohen as a liar.
The prosecutor acknowledged that Daniels含羞草研究社� account about the alleged 2006 encounter in a Lake Tahoe hotel suite, which Trump has denied, was at times 含羞草研究社渃ringeworthy.含羞草研究社� But he said the details she offered 含羞草研究社� including about the decor and what she said she saw when she snooped in Trump含羞草研究社檚 toiletry kit 含羞草研究社� were full of touchstones 含羞草研究社渢hat kind of ring true.含羞草研究社�
And, he said, the story matters because it 含羞草研究社渞einforces (Trump含羞草研究社檚) incentive to buy her silence.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淗er story is messy. It makes people uncomfortable to hear. It probably makes some of you uncomfortable to hear. But that含羞草研究社檚 kind of the point,含羞草研究社� Steinglass said. He told jurors: 含羞草研究社淚n the simplest terms, Stormy Daniels is the motive.含羞草研究社�
The payoff unfolded against the backdrop of the disclosure of a 2005 in which Trump could be heard bragging about grabbing women sexually without their permission. Had the Daniels story emerged in the aftermath of the recording, it would have undermined his strategy of spinning away his words, Steinglass said.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 critical to appreciate this,含羞草研究社� Steinglass said. At the same time he was dismissing his words on the tape as 含羞草研究社渓ocker room talk,含羞草研究社� Trump 含羞草研究社渨as negotiating to muzzle a porn star,含羞草研究社� the prosecutor said.
Blanche, who spoke first, sought to downplay the fallout by saying the 含羞草研究社淎ccess Hollywood含羞草研究社� tape was not a 含羞草研究社渄oomsday event.含羞草研究社�
Steinglass also tried to reassure jurors that the prosecution含羞草研究社檚 case did not rest solely on Michael Cohen, Trump含羞草研究社檚 former lawyer and personal fixer who paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet. , as well as to lying to Congress. He went to prison and was disbarred, but his direct involvement in the transactions made him a key witness at trial.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not about whether you like Michael Cohen. It含羞草研究社檚 not about whether you want to go into business with Michael Cohen. It含羞草研究社檚 whether he has useful, reliable information to give you about what went down in this case, and the truth is that he was in the best position to know,含羞草研究社� Steinglass said.
Though the case featured sometimes seamy discussion of sex and tabloid industry practices, the actual charges concern something decidedly less flashy: reimbursements Trump signed for Cohen for the payments.
The reimbursements were recorded as being for legal expenses, which prosecutors say was a fraudulent label designed to conceal the purpose of the hush money transaction and to illicitly interfere in the 2016 election. Defense lawyers say Cohen actually did substantive legal work for Trump and his family.
In his own hourslong address to the jury, with sweeping denials echoing Trump含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渄eny everything含羞草研究社� approach, Blanche castigated the entire foundation of the case.
He said Cohen, not Trump, created the invoices that were submitted to the Trump Organization for reimbursement, and he rejected the prosecution含羞草研究社檚 caricature of a details-oriented manager. He suggested instead that Trump was preoccupied by the presidency and not the checks he was signing. And he rejected the idea that the alleged hush money scheme amounted to election interference.
含羞草研究社淓very campaign in this country is a conspiracy to promote a candidate, a group of people who are working together to help somebody win,含羞草研究社� Blanche said.
As expected, he reserved his most animated attack for Cohen, with whom he tangled during .
Mimicking the term 含羞草研究社淕OAT,含羞草研究社� used primarily in sports as an acronym for 含羞草研究社済reatest of all time,含羞草研究社� Blanche labeled Cohen the 含羞草研究社淕LOAT含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� greatest liar of all time 含羞草研究社� and called Cohen 含羞草研究社渢he human embodiment of reasonable doubt.含羞草研究社� That language was intentional because, to convict Trump, jurors must believe that prosecutors proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
含羞草研究社淗e lied to you repeatedly. He lied many, many times before you even met him. His financial and personal well-being depend on this case. He is biased and motivated to tell you a story that is not true,含羞草研究社� Blanche said, a reference to Cohen含羞草研究社檚 relentless and often bitingly personal social media attacks on Trump and the lucrative income he has derived from books and podcasts about Trump.
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