NEW YORK (AP) — Jury deliberations in Donald Trump ‘s criminal hush money trial will enter their second day on Thursday after the panel began the weighty task a day before.
Deliberations concluded Wednesday with the panel asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to rehear portions of crucial testimony from two key witnesses: former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker and Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer. Jurors also requested to rehear jury instructions.
The jury deliberated for about 4 1/2 hours.
Deliberations in the hush money case will go on for as long as the jury needs. While the standard court day runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a break for lunch, Merchan told the panel it could work as late as 6 p.m. if it wished.
At the heart of the charges are reimbursements paid to Cohen for a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in exchange for not going public with her claim about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.
Prosecutors say the reimbursements were falsely logged as “legal expenses” to hide the true nature of the transactions.
Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, charges which are punishable by up to four years in prison. He has denied all wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
The case is the first of Trump’s four indictments to reach trial and is the first-ever criminal case against a former U.S. president.
Currently:
— Trump’s hush money case has gone to the jury. What happens now?
— Highlights from the first day of jury deliberations
— Rallies and debates used to define campaigns. Now they’re about juries and trials
— Trump hush money case: A timeline of key events
Here’s the latest:
A LOOK BACK AT MEMORABLE APPEARANCES DURING TRUMP’S DAYS IN COURT
Earlier this week, President Joe Biden’s campaign showed up outside of Donald Trump’s trial with actor Robert De Niro and a pair of former police officers.
Even as Trump and his aides denounce the trial as politically motivated, he has been working to turn the proceedings into an offshoot of his presidential campaign. He’s used his time in front of the cameras outside the courtroom to criticize Biden and showcase a parade of his own political supporters.
Some notable appearances at Trump’s trial include House Speaker Mike Johnson, former GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
WHAT A VERDICT COULD MEAN FOR TRUMP
A guilty verdict would deliver a stunning legal reckoning for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee as Donald Trump seeks to reclaim the White House.
An acquittal would represent a major win for Trump and embolden him on the campaign trail.
Since verdicts must be unanimous, it’s also possible the case ends in a mistrial if the jury can’t reach a consensus after days of deliberations.
Trump struck a pessimistic tone after leaving the courtroom following the reading of jury instructions, repeating his assertions of a “very unfair trial” and saying: “Mother Teresa could not beat those charges, but we’ll see. We’ll see how we do.”
WHO IS ON THE JURY?
The jury in Donald Trump’s hush money trial is comprised of 18 Manhattan residents.
The main jury includes seven men and five women. There are also six alternate jurors who’ve listened to the testimony, but won’t join in the deliberations unless one of the main jurors needs to drop out or is removed.
The jury represents a diverse cross-section of the borough and come from various professional backgrounds, including a sales professional, a software engineer, a security engineer, a teacher, a speech therapist, multiple lawyers, an investment banker and a retired wealth manager.
Jurors’ names are being kept from the public.
WHAT MUST BE PROVED FOR A CONVICTION?
Jurors in Donald Trump’s hush money trial are expected to begin deliberations on Wednesday after receiving instructions from the judge on the law that governs the case and what they can consider as they strive toward a verdict in the first criminal case against a former U.S. president.
The panel has a weighty task ahead of them — deciding whether to convict or acquit Trump of some, all or none of the 34 felony counts he’s charged with.
But what had to be proved for a conviction?
To convict Trump of felony falsifying business records, prosecutors had to convince jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that he not only falsified or caused business records to be entered falsely but also did so with intent to commit or conceal another crime. Any verdict must be unanimous.
THE JURY HAS BEEN SENT TO DELIBERATE. WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN?
Jury deliberations proceed in secret, in a room reserved specifically for jurors and through an intentionally opaque process.
Jurors can communicate with the court through notes that ask the judge, for instance, for legal guidance or to have particular excerpts of testimony read back to them. But without knowing what jurors are saying to each other, it’s hard to read too much into the meaning of any note.
It’s anyone’s guess how long the jury in Donald Trump’s hush money case will deliberate for and there’s no time limit either. The jury must evaluate 34 counts of falsifying business records and that could take some time. A verdict might not come by the end of the week.
To reach a verdict on any given count, either guilty or not guilty, all 12 jurors must agree with the decision for the judge to accept it.
