NEW YORK (AP) — Closing arguments in Donald Trump ‘s historic hush money trial are set to begin Tuesday morning, giving prosecutors and defense attorneys one final opportunity to convince the jury of their respective cases before deliberations begin.
Jurors will undertake the unprecedented task of deciding whether to convict the former U.S. president of felony criminal charges stemming from hush money payments tied to an alleged scheme to buy and bury stories that might wreck Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
At the heart of the charges are reimbursements paid to Michael Cohen for a $130,000 hush money payment that was paid to porn actor Stormy Daniels in exchange for not going public with her claim about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.
Prosecutors say the payments to Cohen, Trump’s then-lawyer, were falsely logged 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 which are punishable by up to four years in prison.
Closing arguments are expected to last all day Tuesday, with jury deliberations beginning as soon as Wednesday.
The case is the first of Trump’s four indictments to go to trial as he seeks to reclaim the White House from Democrat Joe Biden.
The other cases center on charges of illegally hoarding classified documents at his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election. It’s unclear whether any of them will reach trial before the November election.
Currently:
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— Closing arguments, jury instructions and maybe a verdict? Major week looms
— Trump hush money case: A timeline of key events
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— Hush money, catch and kill and more: A guide to unique terms used at Trump’s trial
Here’s the latest:
WHAT MUST BE PROVED FOR A CONVICTION?
With closing arguments in Donald Trump’s hush money trial expected to get underway Tuesday morning, jurors have a weighty task ahead of them — deciding whether to convict the former U.S. president of some, all or none of the 34 felony counts he’s charged with.
To convict Trump of felony falsifying business records, prosecutors must 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.
To prevent a conviction, the defense simply needs to convince at least one juror that prosecutors haven’t proved Trump’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the standard for criminal cases.
New York also has a misdemeanor falsifying business records charge, which requires proving only that a defendant made or caused the false entries, but it is not part of Trump’s case and will not be considered by jurors.
A SEAT IN COURT DURING CLOSING ARGUMENTS PROVES ALLURING FOR SOME
For many Americans, Memorial Day weekend was a moment to remember the sacrifices of U.S. military personnel and to unplug from the bustle of daily life.
For others, it was a chance to snag a prime spot in line for entry into Donald Trump’s hush money trial ahead of Tuesday’s closing arguments. Last Friday afternoon saw several people camped out — including professional line sitters with pup tents — for a chance to see the tail end of the historic proceedings up close and personal.
Though most of the seats inside the courtroom are reserved for lawyers, members of Trump’s entourage, security personnel and journalists, a few are open to the general public.
The former president’s Manhattan trial has drawn visitors from all over, including students from local schools and plenty of out-of-towners.
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEK
Closing arguments in Donald Trump’s hush money trial are expected to begin on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the end of the historic proceedings that kicked off in April.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers will make their final pitch to jurors, hoping to sway them in one direction or another after more than four weeks of witness testimony.
Following the conclusion of closing arguments, which are expected to last all day, Judge Juan M. Merchan will spend about an hour instructing the jury on the law governing the case, providing a roadmap for what it can and cannot take into account as it evaluates the Republican former president’s guilt or innocence.
Jurors could begin deliberations as early as Wednesday.