After six weeks of debate, the United States awaits the verdict in Donald Trump’s criminal trial. The 12 jurors in charge of the Stormy Daniels case concluded their first day of deliberations on Wednesday May 29 without finding a verdict. They have in their hands the legal fate of the ex-president, who aspires to return to the White House during the presidential elections in November.
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For their first day of deliberation, they isolated themselves for four hours, behind closed doors, without telephone, only communicating with the judge through written notes. While a few Donald Trump supporters gathered outside the court to support their champion, the 12 jurors began their work examining the 34 charges. In reality, it is 34 times the same: commercial business account falsificationa felony punishable by up to four years in prison in New York State.
After six weeks of debatewhere it was often a question of sex, money and power, the jury finds itself faced with a single question: was Donald Trump guilty of 34 falsifications of accounting documents, intended to hide a payment of 130 000 dollars to pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels to avoid a sex scandal at the very end of her 2016 presidential campaign?
These jurors therefore have work to do, especially since whatever their verdict, they must agree unanimously. They must above all judge based on the facts and ignoring their ” personal opinions “, according to Manhattan Court Judge Juan Merchan. “ You are required to set aside (your) personal opinions, whether favorable or against the accused “, he solemnly warned while reading his instructions to these 12 citizens of New York.
In the afternoon, the jurors indicated that they wanted to hear again his instructions, a sort of legal manual for the case, as well as passages from certain testimony at the trial. The judge then told them that his readings would take place Thursday morning and released them from their obligations.
However, opinions never fail to be clear-cut when it comes to Donald Trump, a very divisive character.
Trump Banned From Leaving Court During Deliberations
The Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election is for once like everyone else: he has to wait, which could be a few hours, a few days, or even a few weeks. The former president of the United States will have to return to court in Manhattan on Thursday, the judge having prohibited him from leaving the court during all deliberations.
That allows him, when he passes in front of the pressto continue to deliver his usual speech on the “ witch hunt » and alleged election interference. In the campaign for the November 5 presidential election, forced since mid-April to come to the courtroom every day, the Republican billionaire once again stormed to the press against “ a scandalous situation » and denounced “ lawsuits (criminal) rigged “.
Donald Trump pushes his victimization by asserting that even the Catholic saint “ Mother Teresa could not brush aside these accusations “, he said, once the judge gave his instructions to the jurors.