Jurors in Donald Trump’s trial returned for a second day of deliberations on Thursday, applying extra scrutiny to two high-profile witnesses as they weigh the fate of the first US president to be charged with a crime.
It was unclear when the 12 jurors and six alternates would reach a verdict that could potentially destroy Trump’s hopes of winning back the White House from Democratic President Joe Biden as the Republican nominee in the Nov. 5 election.
A conviction will not stop Trump from campaigning for president. Nor will it prevent him from taking office if he wins.
Jurors asked Judge Juan Merchan to repeat the detailed instructions he gave them to guide their deliberations.
New York prosecutors have accused Trump, 77, of falsifying business documents to try to cover up a secret payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing.
Jurors appeared to be closely watching the testimony of key witness Michael Cohen, the former Trump lawyer who paid the $130,000 in bribes that ensured Daniels would not tell voters about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump denies having had sex with Daniels.
Cohen also testified that he and Trump discussed a plan to repay him through monthly payments disguised as legal fees — the alleged conduct that prompted the criminal charges.
Jurors asked Merchan for a transcript of portions of Cohen’s testimony.
They also asked Merchan for testimony from David Pecker, former editor of the tabloid National Enquirer, who told jurors he worked with Trump to suppress stories that could have hurt the businessman-turned-politician’s campaign.
Trump’s lawyers have said Cohen’s testimony is unreliable, pointing to his criminal record and history of lying. Merchan also told jurors they needed to carefully examine his testimony because he was complicit in the acts he described.
Prosecutors said emails and other evidence supported Cohen’s testimony.
Jurors must reach any verdict unanimously. If they cannot resolve their differences, Merchan may order a mistrial.
Prosecutors in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office face the burden of proving Trump’s guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt,” the standard under U.S. law.
Opinion polls show that Trump and Biden are locked in a tight race. But a Reuters/Ipsos poll found a guilty verdict could cost Trump support.
Trump faces up to four years in prison if found guilty, but those who are found guilty of the crime he is accused of are more often fined or given probation.
Trump faces three other criminal cases, but they are not expected to be tried before the November elections. He pleaded not guilty to all of them.
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