#Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection w/a #HushMoney payment made to a porn star to influence the 2016 election. The case could be in the jury’s hands as early as Wed.
Before he concluded, #Blanche asked that #jurors not send his client to #prison. Now, w/the jury excused, Joshua #Steinglass, who will give prosecution’s closing argument, stands up & objects.
“That was a blatant & wholly inappropriate effort to call sympathy for their client,” Steinglass says, asking for a curative instruction.
Justice #Merchan is excoriating Blanche for making an “outrageous” statement.
Justice #Merchan, furious, reminds #Blanche, & not for the first time, that he was a prosecutor long enough to know it was out of bounds for him to basically beg jurors not to send #Trump to #prison.
Merchan told the court that he plans to give jurors a curative instruction — in other words, general direction that is aimed at clearing up an erroneous statement.
Tues 29 May 2024 🧵
Good morning! It’s the last day of the #TrumpTrial before jury #deliberations.
Today Justice #Merchan will give #JuryInstructions. Then they will discuss the case among themselves for the first time; they have not been allowed to even discuss it w/each other as yet.
Closing arguments took place yesterday, & the lawyers will have no further opportunity to address the jurors before they determine whether #Trump is #guilty or not guilty of 34 felonies.
Last week, prosecution won a major argument when they argued that the jurors did not have to agree #unanimously on the “unlawful means” (#crimes) they might determine that Trump used.
The male juror prepares to take the computer & the paralegal seems hesitant. “He can take it,” Justice #Merchan says. The 2 jurors leave the room.
All the trial exhibits are on that laptop, which could help speed up the #deliberations: the jurors will not have to request specific documentary #evidence they wish to review. Nor will they have to view it in the courtroom, which takes time to setup.
EACH count carries the possibility of up to 4 yrs in #prison. But if #Trump is convicted on more than one count, Justice #Merchan would likely impose the punishment concurrently, meaning he would serve prison time on each of the counts simultaneously.
Justice Merchan could instead opt to impose a sentence of probation, w/ no prison time. Trump would be required to regularly report to NYC’s Probation Dept. He could also be jailed immediately if he committed additional crimes.
"I don't even know what the charges are in this rigged case — I am entitled to specificity just like anyone else. There is no crime!"
Besides the fact that the #charges were all in the #indictment the grand jury approved over a year ago on 30 March 2023 & was delivered to him & his attys, but besides that, Judge #Merchan just read the damn charges in great detail while Trump was sitting there.
He cannot leave the courtHOUSE while the #jury is deliberating, Justice #Merchan informs him.
Outside the courtroom Trump spews a bunch of inciting lies attacking the justice system, democracy, the country, the judge… his basic “I’m a victim” BS.
A #juror was quickly dismissed at the start. She was among the 7 already selected, she said she was very worried that despite the fact the court ruled to keep jurors’ name secret, she would still be exposed & targeted.
It’s probably safe to say that few, if any, judges have had to deal w/the array of #threats to #their trial that Justice #Merchan has had to. Besides #Trump himself, who constantly tests the boundaries of his #GagOrder, there are his allies who attacking the judge & his family & who aren’t covered by the gag order. Then there’s the #media who has been putting potentially identifying info about prospective #jurors on TV.
Prosecutors repeatedly object to defense’s use of “President Trump” to refer to a meeting in June 2016, pointing out that #Trump wasn’t president at that point. Justice #Merchan sustains.
#Bove keeps jumping between topics during his #CrossExamination of #Pecker. Trump seemed engaged yesterday when this line of questioning began, today he’s more lethargic — sitting slumped in his chair, & he just tried to disguise a yawn.
Yesterday, Costello behaved so atrociously on the witness stand that Juan Merchan cleared the courtroom to admonish him & the defense attorneys. Costello is due back on the stand
Justice Merchan points out that the #felony charges of falsifying business records #Trump faces includes an #intent to conceal another #crime. The #law doesn't require prosecutors to show that Trump intended to orchestrate a #conspiracy, but rather that by falsifying business records, he intended to hide said conspiracy.
#Merchan says he will leave that instruction as is – a win for prosecutors.
#StormyDaniels says she came out of the bathroom & found that #Trump was in the bedroom, waiting for her, in his boxer shorts & a T-shirt. She had been planning to go, she said. He was seated on the bed, between her & the exit.
Justice #Merchan is noticeably upset, & Daniels seems confused, after some objections, about what to answer from prosecutors. We are in an intense, intense moment here.
The NY judge presiding over one (bc there’s >1) of Trump’s #criminal trials imposed a gag order on Tues that prohibits him from attacking #witnesses, #prosecutors & #jurors, the latest effort to rein in Trump’s wrathful rhetoric.
Judge Juan #Merchan imposed the order at the request of the Manhattan DA, which brought the case. The DA, #AlvinBragg, has accused #Trump of covering up a sex scandal during & after his 2016 campaign [to keep it from the electorate].
…Under the judge’s #GagOrder, Trump cannot make, or direct others to make, statements about #witnesses concerning their roles in the case. Trump is also barred from commenting on prosecutors & court staff.
NY #Justice Juan #Merchan on Wednesday denied Trump's bid to #delay his April 15 trial on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star until #SCOTUS reviews his claim to presidential #immunity in a separate criminal case.
Prosecutors in Trump’s #criminal trial say he has violated a #GagOrder barring him from attacking #witnesses, #jurors & others close to the case. Testimony is set to resume later Tuesday morning.
The judge loses patience w/ #Blanche, "I'm asking the questions, OK," he says. "Im going to decide whether your client is in #contempt or not, so please don't turn it around." Blanche says in a higher-pitched voice that the prosecutors got as much time as they want.
Justice #Merchan makes a distinction, saying the prosecutors were answering his questions.
During the scold, #Trump turned to another one of his lawyers, Emil Bove, & whispered a comment.
The day concluded with/o a final decision from Justice #Merchan on whether #Trump will be held in #contempt & fined for violating his #GagOrder. Merchan could issue a written ruling at any point, or rule from the bench later. There is no deadline.
Trump, as always, spouted a bunch of BS in the hallway outside the courtroom.
This time he brought props, he held up a stack of printed articles that he said he wasn’t sure he could share because of the gag order 🙄
“I find you in #criminal#contempt for the 10th time,” said Justice Juan #Merchan, who said he is concerned that Donald #Trump has apparently not taken heed of his prior findings.
“Going forward, this court will have to consider a #jail sentence. The last thing I want to do is put you in jail.”
#Trump has a huge posse today, including #KashPatel; #GerryKassar, a #conservative party leader in NY; #BernieKerik, fmr NYPD commissioner who was imprisoned for tax fraud & false statements; #AlanDershowitz, lawyer who defended Trump during his first impeachment, & #BorisEpshteyn, legal adviser who was #indicted in AZ for attempts to keep Trump in power after the 2020 election.
Each page yesterday took him just a little more than a minute, so this will take >30 mins.
Between that & the testimony readbacks, also expected to take >30 mins, there will likely be >1 hour this morning w/the jury in the courtroom, not actively deliberating.
As Justice #Merchan re-reads the #JuryInstructions, #Trump has had his eyes closed, & his chin has sometimes slumped to his chest. At other times, his head has been fallen backwards — just waiting for his mouth to drop open & let flies enter. #NodFarter
Merchan is now in the middle of p 17 of the instructions, explaining jurors can consider whether any #witness would benefit from his or her own #testimony. (hmm)
The #verdict must be unanimous on the primary crime falsification of business records.
Once #jurors inform the court they have reached a verdict, Justice Juan #Merchan will summon the parties to the courtroom to hear it read by the foreperson.
Merchan must still affirm the verdict & enter a final judgment.
#Trump has his posse again. Today it’s more #Republican elected officials. Today, Trump will be joined by the #House speaker, #MikeJohnson, as well as #NorthDakota’s governor, #DougBurgum, a contender to be Trump's running mate. Also present will be Representatives #ByronDonalds & #CoryMills of Florida, & #VivekRamaswamy, who was one of Trump's primary rivals this year. Both Donalds & Ramaswamy are longshot hopefuls to be Trump's running mate.