Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings in his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 29, 2024.
Charly Triballeau | Afp | Getty Images
The New York jury weighing criminal charges against former President Donald Trump ended its first day of deliberations on Wednesday after asking to rehear key bits of trial testimony from Trump’s ex-lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, and from the former publisher of The National Enquirer.
Jurors also asked Judge Juan Merchan for a readback of the instructions the judge gave them Wednesday morning.
The requests were the first notes the 12-member jury sent out to Merchan after it deliberated for several hours.
Jurors will rehear the testimony and judge’s instructions when they return to Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday morning to resume deliberations.
Trump is charged in the case with falsifying business records related to reimbursing Cohen for the $130,000 hush money payment that Cohen gave porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election.
Jurors asked for Enquirer publisher David Pecker’s testimony about a phone conversation he had with Trump while Pecker was in an investor meeting, as well as Pecker’s testimony about buying the life rights of Karen McDougal, who has said she was Trump’s mistress.
The panel also asked for a readback of Pecker’s testimony regarding a meeting at Trump Tower in New York and for Cohen’s testimony about that meeting.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump raged about the case, where he faces 34 felony counts.
“Mother Teresa could not beat these charges,” Trump told reporters stationed outside the courtroom in Manhattan Supreme Court.
“These charges are rigged. The whole thing is rigged,” the former president said.
“The whole country’s a mess,” Trump went on, making apparent references to a surge in U.S. immigration and his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election before repeating his attacks against Judge Merchan.
“Between the borders and fake elections, and you have a trial like this, where the judge is so conflicted he can’t breathe,” he said. “It’s a disgrace.”
Jury instructions
Before Trump left the courtroom, Merchan spent nearly 90 minutes delivering instructions to the jury about how they must evaluate the charges.
If jurors reach a guilty verdict on any of those counts, Trump will become the first former U.S. president ever to be convicted of a crime.
The judge reminded them that they “must set aside any personal opinions or bias” against Trump during their deliberations.
He also told them that Trump’s decision not to testify at trial should not be held against him, noting that the defense does not have the responsibility of proving he is innocent of the charges.
“To the contrary, the people have the burden and they must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed that crime,” said Merchan.
“And if they fail to satisfy their burden of proof, you must find him not…
Read More: Jury ends first day of deliberations
