NEW YORK – Twelve New York jurors began deliberating on May 29 on whether to convict Donald Trump in the first ever criminal trial of a former US president, with their decision potentially upending the November election, in which the Republican seeks a return to power.
It was far from certain how long they might take to reach a verdict in the case with Trump, 77, who is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star in the final weeks of the 2016 election.
Shortly before deliberations began, the judge overseeing the trial told jurors that they cannot rely solely on the testimony of star witness Michael Cohen, who played a central role in the hush money payment at the heart of the case.
Justice Juan Merchan told jurors to apply extra scrutiny to Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, because he testified he was directly involved in Trump’s alleged effort to cover up the payment to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.
“Even if you find the testimony of Michael Cohen to be believable, you may not convict the defendant solely on that testimony unless you find it was corroborated by other evidence,” Justice Merchan said.
The judge’s comments were part of his detailed instructions to the 12 jurors and six alternates who have sat silently in a New York courtroom for weeks while prosecutors laid out their case and Trump’s lawyers tried to knock it down.
“You must set aside any personal opinions or bias you might have in favor of or against the defendant,” Justice Merchan said.
A guilty verdict could upend the 2024 presidential race, in which Trump is seeking again to win the White House.
After weeks of testimony from more than 20 witnesses, the piercing glare of the legal spotlight now shifts to the jury, whose identities have been kept secret for their own protection amid soaring political tensions across the United States.
After receiving final instructions from the judge, the jury will retire to consider a verdict that – whichever way it goes – will have an outsized impact on Trump, and the country as a whole.
No time limit is placed on their deliberations, but an acquittal or conviction would require unanimity. If just one juror refuses to join the others, the judge would have to declare a mistrial.
A conviction will not prevent Trump, the Republican candidate, from trying to take back the White House from Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov 5 election. Nor will it prevent him from taking office if he wins.
Opinion polls show the two men locked in a tight race. But Reuters/Ipsos polling has found that a guilty verdict could cost Trump support among independent and some Republican voters.
A verdict of not guilty would remove a major legal barrier, freeing Trump from the obligation to juggle court appearances and campaign stops.
If convicted, he would be expected to appeal.
Trump faces three other criminal prosecutions, but they are not expected to go to trial before the Nov 5 election.
Biden campaign officials say any verdict will not substantially change the dynamics of the election.
Trump did not speak as he entered the courtroom.
But he fired off a characteristically angry, all-caps message on his Truth Social app, complaining about a “KANGAROO COURT!” and a “CORRUPT AND CONFLICTED JUDGE”.
During the trial, jurors heard testimony from Ms Daniels, who described in lurid detail a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, and from Cohen, the former Trump fixer who paid US$130,000 (S$419,000) to buy her silence during Trump’s 2016 White House run.
Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office say that payment could have contributed to Trump’s victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton by keeping an unflattering story out of the public eye.
“We’ll never know if this effort to hoodwink the American voter impacted the election,” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told jurors during his closing argument on May 28.
They say Trump paid Cohen back in monthly instalments disguised as legal fees. They have charged him with 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents, and face the burden of proving Trump’s guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt”, the standard under US law.
Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies ever having sex with Ms Daniels.
His lawyers say Cohen, a convicted felon, lied under oath when he said Trump knew about the Daniels payment before the election and helped craft the reimbursement scheme after his victory.
“He is literally the greatest liar of all time,” Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told jurors on May 28.
Justice Merchan imposed a gag order to prevent Trump from intimidating witnesses and jurors, and fined him US$10,000 for violating it. REUTERS, AFP
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2024-05-29 15:17:00Z
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