After 15 days of testimony from 20 witnesses, the Manhattan district legal professional’s workplace on Monday rested its case in opposition to former President Donald J. Trump.
The case was capped by three days of grinding cross-examination of his former fixer, Michael D. Cohen, who lastly stepped off the stand on Monday afternoon, leaving jurors to weigh his truthfulness.
The protection started its case on a mission to sully the credibility of Mr. Cohen, the prosecution’s star witness, however the second witness Mr. Trump’s attorneys known as to the stand rapidly turned embroiled in a squabble with the decide, Juan M. Merchan. The decide, not surprisingly, prevailed.
Although the protection is predicted to be temporary, Justice Merchan mentioned that closing arguments wouldn’t occur till subsequent week.
The previous president is charged with falsifying 34 enterprise information associated to the reimbursement of a $130,000 hush-money fee to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, who says she had intercourse with Mr. Trump in Lake Tahoe, Nev., in 2006. Mr. Trump, 77, has denied the fees and has mentioned he didn’t have an encounter with Ms. Daniels. If convicted, he might face jail or probation.
Listed below are 5 takeaways from Mr. Trump’s nineteenth day on trial.
‘The protection calls Robert Costello.’ It didn’t go effectively.
After Mr. Cohen was performed, the protection commenced and shortly known as Robert Costello, a former authorized adviser to Mr. Cohen, who mentioned they spoke in 2018 and that Mr. Cohen advised him that Mr. Trump “knew nothing” about funds to Ms. Daniels.
However after a number of objections by prosecutors, Mr. Costello mentioned “jeez.” Quickly after, Justice Merchan despatched the jury away and scolded Mr. Costello for not displaying “correct decorum” and for giving him “side-eye.”
It didn’t cease there: Justice Merchan rapidly cleared the courtroom to cope with Mr. Costello.
When onlookers left the room, in accordance with a transcript, the decide advised Mr. Costello that his conduct was “contemptuous” and mentioned, “When you attempt to stare me down yet another time I’ll take away you from the stand.” Addressing the protection attorneys, he added, “I’ll strike his testimony, do you hear me?”
Mr. Costello requested, “Can I say one thing, please?” And Justice Merchan replied: “No. No. This isn’t a dialog.”
Prosecutors sought to hyperlink a cellphone name with {a photograph}.
Final week, Todd Blanche, Mr. Trump’s lead lawyer, confronted Mr. Cohen a few cellphone name on Oct. 24, 2016.
Mr. Cohen mentioned that in that decision — made to Mr. Trump’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller — he talked to Mr. Trump concerning the payoff to Ms. Daniels. The protection had one other principle: He was complaining to Mr. Schiller about pranks that an adolescent was taking part in on him.
After cross-examination, prosecutors sought to introduce a photograph exhibiting Mr. Trump with Mr. Schiller that was taken about the identical time as the decision. It was admitted into proof, despite the fact that the protection tried to forestall it.
The significance of that argument about Mr. Cohen’s testimony, which bears on his common credibility, appeared clear to Mr. Blanche, who talked about it at the very least twice on Monday. The picture — and the jury’s interpretation of it — might turn out to be important.
Protection attorneys had combined outcomes as they tried to muddy the waters.
Mr. Blanche appeared to be looking for a decisive second.
He tried to boost questions on different calls that Mr. Cohen mentioned he positioned to Mr. Trump across the time of the hush-money fee. However Mr. Cohen stood agency, saying, “My recollection is that I used to be chatting with him about Stormy Daniels as a result of that was what he tasked me to deal with.”
However Mr. Blanche discovered success when he moved from calling Mr. Cohen a liar to calling him a thief. Underneath his questioning, Mr. Cohen admitted having stolen $30,000 from the Trump Group.
A prosecutor, Susan Hoffinger, gave Mr. Cohen the possibility to say his theft was an offended response to having his bonus minimize, and he agreed that it was incorrect. However the picture remained of a person stealing from an organization he’d beforehand praised as a “massive household.”
Cohen was surprisingly regular.
Mr. Cohen, Mr. Trump’s flamable former lawyer and fixer, by no means misplaced his mood, regardless of admitting all method of unhealthy habits. On Monday, he additionally admitted having a monetary curiosity within the case’s end result: Mr. Trump is a subject of his podcast and different endeavors. However Mr. Cohen mentioned {that a} Trump acquittal could be higher for him economically.
“It provides me extra to speak about,” he mentioned.
A galloping trial slows to a stroll.
The trial was clipping alongside final week, and it appeared potential that the jury could be deliberating earlier than Memorial Day. These plans have been dashed on Monday when Justice Merchan introduced that closing arguments could be delayed till after the vacation weekend.
The protection is predicted to relaxation on Tuesday, barring a last-minute shock, and that might imply an prolonged break for jurors.
The events are then anticipated to make their closing arguments on Might 28. Whom that timing helps is tough to divine, although it provides either side time to hone their last pitches.
It additionally offers jurors a transparent runway to deliberate so long as needed.
