Jury deliberations commenced Wednesday in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, marking a historic moment as a dozen New Yorkers take on the task of deciding the outcome of the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president. The jury, composed of seven men and five women, began their discussions in a private room shortly before 11:30 a.m., tasked with delivering a fair and impartial verdict. Their deliberations will remain confidential, although they can communicate with the judge through notes to request rehearing of testimony or examination of evidence. The jury will also use this method to announce their verdict or if they are deadlocked.
Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to an alleged scheme to suppress potentially damaging stories during his 2016 presidential campaign. The charges stem from $130,000 in hush money paid by Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen to porn actor Stormy Daniels, purportedly to silence her claims of a 2006 extramarital affair with Trump. The payments were allegedly misrepresented as legal expenses to conceal their true nature. Trump has pleaded not guilty, maintaining that the reimbursements to Cohen were for legitimate legal services.
