The jury in former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York resumes its verdict deliberations on Thursday after reviewing portions of the testimony and the judge’s instructions on various legal issues related to the case.
The 12 Manhattan residents serving on the jury asked to rehear testimony from two witnesses in the case, David Pecker and Michael Cohen, about key interactions the two men said they had with Trump in 2015 and 2016. The jurors also asked the judge to repeat some of the guidance guiding their deliberations.
The testimony and instructions were read in court Thursday morning, a process that took about an hour and a half. The jurors then left the courtroom to resume their discussions behind closed doors.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records stemming from the reimbursement of a “hush money” payment Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Prosecutors say Trump attempted to cover up the payment by concealing the purpose of the refunds.
The testimony jurors were asked to consider focused on several interactions involving Cohen, Trump and Pecker, who was the CEO of American Media Inc., the parent company of the National Enquirer. Prosecutors say the three men engaged in a “catch and kill” scheme to bury negative stories about Trump in order to support his campaign.
The jury asked to hear portions of testimony regarding a phone call Pecker had with Trump in 2015; Pecker’s decision to refuse to transfer to Cohen the lifetime rights of a former Playboy model who said she had sex with Trump; and a meeting at Trump Tower in 2015. They also requested Cohen’s testimony about the Trump Tower meeting.
Jury hears judge’s instructions and testimony
Several jurors took notes as the judge read a section of his instructions on how to draw conclusions from proven facts. He used the example of a person waking up and seeing that everything outside was wet, and concluding that it had been raining all night.
“The fact that it rained while you were sleeping is an inference that could be drawn from the proven facts of the presence of water in the street and on the sidewalk, and of people wearing raincoats and carrying umbrellas,” the statement said. relevant part of the instructions. . “An inference should be drawn only from one or more proven facts, and only if the inference follows naturally, reasonably and logically from the proven fact(s), and not if it is speculative. Therefore, in deciding whether it When drawing an inference, you must examine and consider all facts in the light of reason, common sense and experience.
Another section of the instructions dealt with how jurors can evaluate the testimony of an accomplice, which Cohen is in this case. More than half of the jurors took notes while Merchan reiterated that the jury cannot convict based on the testimony of an accomplice alone — it must be supported by corroborating evidence.
The judge also explained how a person can be responsible for a crime without being the one who actually physically committed it. The relevant line of the instructions read:
For the defendant to be held criminally liable for the conduct of another that constitutes an offense, you must find beyond a reasonable doubt: First, that he solicited, requested, directed, harassed, or intentionally assisted that person to engage in this conduct. .
After Merchan finished, two court reporters began reciting Pecker’s testimony, beginning with his discussion of a phone call he said he received from Trump in June 2016. At the time, the Enquirer reflected on a deal with Karen McDougal, the former Playboy model. .
“(Trump) said, ‘What should I do?’” Pecker said on the stand in April. “I said, ‘I think you should buy the story and take it off the market.'”
Court reporters then moved on to Pecker’s testimony regarding his decision not to transfer McDougal’s lifetime rights to Cohen in September 2016. Pecker said AMI’s general counsel advised him not to move forward. before with the deal and said Cohen was “very angry, very upset.” “when he told her.
The jury also heard testimony from Pecker and Cohen about the meeting at Trump Tower in 2015, when the “catch and kill” plan was hatched. Pecker said he agreed to be Trump’s “eyes and ears,” watching for stories that could hurt Trump’s electoral prospects.
News Source : www.cbsnews.com
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