Jury deliberates verdict in Trump trial

New York. Closing arguments are over. After a tumultuous six weeks in the courtroom, the jury in Trump’s trial must unanimously agree on a verdict for the former president. It could drop at any moment.

A verdict in New York’s historic hush money trial against former US President Donald Trump could come any time from today. The defense and prosecution have finished their closing arguments, and now it’s the jury’s turn. The latter will withdraw to reach a unanimous verdict. These consultations usually last from a few hours to a few days.

If the former US president is found guilty in his first criminal trial, Judge Juan Merchand will render a verdict on a separate date. If convicted, Trump could face several years in prison, probation or a fine.

The Republican has pleaded not guilty and could run in the November presidential election even if he is found guilty. If the jury cannot reach a consensus after long deliberations, the trial is a mistrial. The case can then be retried with a different jury.

More than 20 witnesses testified in court

More than two dozen witnesses have testified since mid-April in the lawsuit, in which the prosecutor’s office alleges that Trump paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep her quiet and then illegally accounted for the money to boost his chances of winning the 2016 presidential election.

While the payment itself was not illegal (which none of the parties dispute), the 77-year-old is said to have doctored documents when returning the money to his then-personal attorney, Michael Cohen, in order to conceal the true reason for the transaction. As a result, he was found guilty of 34 counts of illegal campaign financing.

“The biggest liar of all time”

Before the trial ends, the defense and prosecution have one last chance to sway the opinions of the 12 jurors in this world-renowned case in their favor. “This conspiracy that these people have concocted could very well get President Trump elected,” said prosecutor Joshua Steinglass.

He referenced a scheme allegedly hatched by Trump, his lawyer Cohen and a tabloid magazine editor to prevent unfavorable coverage of the Republican presidential candidate ahead of the 2016 election. That ultimately led to the payment to Daniels.

Meanwhile, Todd Branch said Trump’s defense attorney insisted that he was innocent: his client had not committed any crime, and the prosecutor’s office could not prove their allegations. He once again attacked the credibility of a key witness: “You can’t definitively convict President Trump based on Michael Cohen’s statements.” Trump’s former personal lawyer often lied in his testimony. Branch said Cohen is “the biggest liar ever.”

Requires consistent judgment

The ruling could also have an impact on the current US election campaign – but the question is: to what extent and in whose favour? Trump has sought to turn his accusations into personal gain and mobilize his followers by portraying himself as the victim of a politically motivated justice system.

On the other hand, incumbent President Joe Biden, who is hoping to be re-elected in November, does not seem to have benefited significantly from the legal proceedings against his challenger. Given the deep divisions in American society and the polarization of Trump, the US media speculated that the jury was more likely to fail to reach a unanimous verdict than in other trials.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:240529-99-197368/2 (dpa)