Jury Consultation Begins in Donald Trump's Court Case Regarding 'Hush Money'

Members of the jury in the criminal trial of Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, have begun consultations to determine his guilt or innocence after several weeks of trial proceedings. This consultation, which is taking place behind closed doors, reviews the evidence, documents, and testimonies presented during the court sessions. It is still unclear how long these sessions, which media reported began on Wednesday, June 9, will last before a verdict is issued regarding the former President's case. Trump's former lawyer testified against him in court regarding the payment of 'hush money'. The payment of $130,000 in hush money by Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels, a former porn actress, from the funds of the 2016 election campaign aimed to prevent the disclosure of Trump's sexual relationship with Daniels, which is the main subject of this trial. The 77-year-old Trump is accused of attempting to conceal the payment to Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election by falsifying documents. Trump, however, denies committing any wrongdoing and considers himself innocent. Just before the jury's consultations began, the presiding judge told the jury that they could not rely solely on Michael Cohen's testimony. Juan Merchan stated, 'Even if you find Michael Cohen's testimony credible, you cannot convict the defendant solely based on that testimony unless you find it corroborated by other evidence.' He urged the jury to set aside any personal opinions or biases that might favor or oppose the defendant. Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer, testified in the court session regarding the hush money payment, stating that he personally managed secret payments to tabloids to prevent the publication of stories that could harm Trump's 2016 election campaign. As the main witness for the prosecution in this case, he also testified that Trump and David Pecker, the publisher of the tabloid 'National Enquirer', had agreed that the publication would not only support Trump's campaign but also block the release of any negative news about it. Trump's lawyers argued that the jury cannot rely solely on Cohen's statements, whom they described as having a 'long history of lying'. A guilty verdict against Donald Trump could jeopardize the 2024 presidential election race, in which Trump is the Republican candidate. Prosecutors from Alvin Bragg's office in Manhattan claim that the hush money payment may have helped keep an undesirable story out of the public eye, contributing to Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Prosecutor Joshua Stenglass told the jury on Tuesday, 'We will never know whether this attempt to deceive American voters affected the election.' The prosecutor in Trump's court stated, 'The hush money payment is election fraud.' According to polls, Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate, and Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, are in a tight race for the White House. Meanwhile, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, a guilty verdict against Trump could impact independent voters and some Republicans who support him. An acquittal for Trump could eliminate legal barriers and free him from halting his campaign. If convicted, he is expected to appeal. Donald Trump faces three other criminal prosecutions, but their verdicts are not expected before the November 5 election.