Judge Juan Merchan told the jury in a long speech that they should treat the former president as “another member of the community” as they decide what will happen to Donald Trump in his hush money trial.
“It’s not my job to decide what the evidence here means.” He told her, “It’s yours.” “You are the judges of the facts, and you are responsible for deciding whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty.”
The defense counsel repeatedly told the jury that Trump’s decision not to speak against him should not affect them and that they should use their own judgment when deciding whether credible witnesses were lying or biased.
Merchant said, “There is no particular formula” for determining a witness’s credibility. He also said, “You may consider whether the witness has any interest in the outcome of the case,” which is another thing that jurors might consider.
In the trial, Merchan also talked about how jurors should understand legal terms like “beyond a reasonable doubt,” “illegal means,” “intent to defraud,” and “motive.”
It’s important to note that prosecutors only have to show that the business records were changed to help with another crime. They don’t have to show that the other crime was actually committed. He added, ” If the People satisfy their burden of proof, you must find the defendant guilty.”
Merchant also told the jury that Michael Cohen’s testimony alone would not be enough to convict the former president because Cohen was involved in the alleged crime. Instead, Merchant said, the jury could only use Cohen’s testimony if it was supported by evidence.
“In other words, even if you believe Michael Cohen’s testimony, you cannot convict the defendant based on that testimony alone unless you also believe that it was supported by other evidence that links the defendant to the crime,” Merchan told the jurors.
“Each of you must decide the case for yourself, but only after a fair and impartial consideration of the evidence with the other jurors,” Merchants rules said. “You shouldn’t give up an honest look at the evidence just because you want the trial to end or because you lost the vote.” On the other hand, you shouldn’t be afraid to think about your ideas again and change your mind if you realize you were wrong.
The jurors seemed to be paying attention the whole time. A number of them were seen taking notes. Trump leaned back in his chair and sometimes closed his eyes, which is how he usually stands. He sometimes played around with the papers on his desk. Merchan was done giving directions at 11:23 a.m.
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Prosecutors said that Trump lied about $130,000 in expenses as the cost of legal services for Cohen as part of a plan to get former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen reimbursed for the money he paid adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has said he is innocent and has not done anything wrong.