Closing Arguments in Trump Trial Scheduled for Tuesday Before Deliberations Begin

New York prosecutors and Donald Trump’s lawyers present their closing arguments in his legal expenses case on Tuesday in an attempt to sway the 12 jurors who will determine whether he will be the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime.

During the six-week trial, prosecutors will assert on Tuesday that Trump, 77, classified a payment to his lawyer Michael Cohen as a legal expense, which they argue is illegal as it was meant to prevent Democrats from using salacious allegations from Stormy Daniels to smear him before the 2016 election.

Trump’s defense team will work to convince the jury that he is not guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt,” the standard required by U.S. law. Trump denies Daniels’ claim of a sexual encounter in 2006 that could have been used as a political attack against him during the 2016 election.

Trump’s legal team called two witnesses, one of whom was reprimanded by Judge Juan Merchan in an incident criticized by legal expert Alan Dershowitz. Trump himself did not testify, stating that the prosecutors have failed to prove that classifying a payment as a legal expense is a crime.

If convicted, Trump could face up to four years in prison, although it is unlikely for a first-time offender of such a crime. A conviction would not prevent him from running for president again or taking office if he were to win, according to opinion polls.

Trump is also facing three other criminal prosecutions in Washington, Georgia, and Florida, all of which he denies and attributes to a strategy to undermine his presidential campaign.

Reuters and Newsmax’s Eric Mack contributed to this report.