NEW YORK — Closing arguments in Donald Trump’s historic secret trial began Tuesday morning in a Manhattan courtroom, giving prosecutors and defense lawyers one last opportunity to convince the jury of their respective cases before deliberations begin.
Jurors will take on the unprecedented task of deciding whether to convict the former US president on criminal charges stemming from secret payments linked to an alleged scheme to buy and bury stories that could destroy Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
At the center of the allegations are refunds paid to Michael Cohen for a secret $130,000 payment that was given to porn actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for not going public with her claim about a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.
Prosecutors say the payments to Cohen, then Trump’s lawyer, were falsely recorded as “legal expenses” to hide the true nature of the transactions.
Trump has denied all wrongdoing.
He pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records, charges punishable by up to four years in prison.
Final arguments are expected to last all day on Tuesday, with jury deliberations beginning as early as Wednesday.
The case is the first of Trump’s four charges to go to trial as he tries to reclaim the White House from Democrat Joe Biden.
The other cases center on charges of illegally accumulating confidential documents at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate and conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election. It is unclear whether either will face trial before the November election.
At the moment:
– Here’s what every key witness said in Donald Trump’s secret trial
– As Trump’s hush money trial draws to a close, would-be spectators camp out for days to get in
— Closing arguments, jury instructions, and perhaps a verdict? Important week is approaching
– Trump Hush Money Case: A Timeline of Key Events
– Key players: who’s who in Trump’s criminal trial
—Silence Money, Capture and Kill, and More: A Guide to Unique Terms Used in the Trump Trial
Here are the latest:
Defense attorney Todd Blanche began his closing argument Tuesday morning by telling jurors that Donald Trump “is innocent” of the charges against him.
“He did not commit any crime and the public prosecutor did not meet the burden of proof. Period,” Blanche said before adding that the evidence in the case “should leave you in doubt.”
“This case is about documents. It’s a paper box. This case is not about an encounter with Stormy Daniels 18 years ago, an encounter that President Trump has unequivocally and repeatedly denied ever occurred,” Blanche said. “Nor is it the confidential settlement and non-disclosure agreement that Daniels entered into eight years ago.”
Jurors in Donald Trump’s criminal trial were attentive Tuesday morning as Judge Juan M. Merchan explained the closing argument process — that by law the defense must go first and prosecutors must go last.
Merchan says he will leave it up to the jury if they want to work past 4:30 p.m., the normal end of the court day, to accommodate both briefs in full rather than stretching into Wednesday.
Defense attorney Todd Blanche said he expects to speak for about two and a half hours during the defense portion of closing arguments, while prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said he may speak for up to four and a half hours.
Donald Trump stood and looked back for a moment after arriving at the defense table for the start of closing arguments in his silent trial. Seated between two of his lawyers – Todd Blanche and Emil Bove – the former president appeared excited before the proceedings began, gesturing and talking to his lawyers.
Seated behind Trump are members of his family, including his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. and his daughter Tiffany.
Donald Trump spoke to reporters before entering court Tuesday morning, calling it “a dark day in America” and “a very sad day.”
The former president carried a sheet of paper and read quotes from political and legal commentators who attacked the hush money case, a feature that Trump has made a regular part of his trial routine. He called Judge Juan M. Merchan “corrupt” and “conflicted” but said he could not speak on the matter because of the gag order.
“We’ll see how it goes. This is a very dangerous day for America. It’s a very sad day,” Trump said.
He was accompanied by three of his children, Don Jr., Eric and Tiffany, along with one of his de facto campaign managers, Susie Wiles.
A small group of supporters chanted “We love Trump” outside the courthouse in lower Manhattan on Tuesday morning as Donald Trump’s motorcade arrived. Supporters waved American flags and wore red “Make America Great Again” hats.
Inside, the prosecution team entered the courtroom, led by Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass, who is expected to present the prosecution’s closing argument.
As has been his routine, Steinglass entered carrying a file box full of papers.
Several members of Donald Trump’s family plan to appear in court Tuesday for his secret trial.
They include his sons, Don Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, daughter-in-law Lara Trump, daughter Tiffany Trump and her husband Michael Boulos.
Other family members have not yet joined him in court, including his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, and his eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys will have the last opportunity to address the jury in closing arguments.
The arguments will not count as evidence in the case accusing Donald Trump of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments during the 2016 presidential election. Instead, they will function as hours-long recaps of the key points the lawyers want to leave to jurors beforehand. for the panel to disappear behind closed doors for deliberations.
Over the course of a month, jurors heard testimony about sex and accounting, tabloid journalism and presidential politics. His task will be to decide whether prosecutors who charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
With closing arguments in Donald Trump’s secret trial set to begin Tuesday morning, jurors have a heavy task ahead of them – deciding whether to convict the former US president on some, all or none of the 34 criminal charges he faces. is accused.
To convict Trump of the crime of falsifying business records, prosecutors must convince jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that he not only falsified or caused business records to be falsely entered, but also did so with the intent to commit or conceal another crime. Any verdict must be unanimous.
To avoid a conviction, the defense only needs to convince at least one juror that prosecutors did not prove Trump’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the standard for criminal cases.
New York also has a misdemeanor charge of falsifying business records, which requires only proof that the defendant made or caused the false entries, but is not part of Trump’s case and will not be considered by jurors.
For many Americans, Memorial Day weekend was a time to remember the sacrifices of U.S. military personnel and to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
For others, it was an opportunity to get a prime spot in line to enter Donald Trump’s secret trial before Tuesday’s closing arguments. Last Friday afternoon, several people camped out – including professional assistants with puppy tents – for a chance to see the end of the historic process up close and personal.
While most seats in the courtroom are reserved for lawyers, members of Trump’s entourage, security personnel and journalists, some are open to the general public.
The former president’s trial in Manhattan attracted visitors from around the world, including students from local schools and many people from out of town.
Closing arguments in Donald Trump’s silence trial are expected to begin on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the end of the historic process that began in April.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys will make their final presentation to jurors, hoping to sway them in one direction or another after more than four weeks of witness testimony.
After closing arguments, which are expected to last all day, conclude, Judge Juan M. Merchan will spend about an hour instructing the jury on the law governing the case, providing a roadmap on what they can and cannot take into account when evaluating . the guilt or innocence of the former Republican president.
Jurors could begin deliberations as early as Wednesday.
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
