Trump Jury Seeks to Review Testimony as Deliberations Begin

The jury in Donald Trump’s New York trial requested to hear testimony again on Wednesday shortly after starting deliberations in the first criminal case against a former American president.

The jury specifically wanted to revisit testimony related to a 2015 meeting at Trump Tower where a tabloid publisher agreed to suppress negative stories about Trump during his presidential run. They wished to hear accounts of this meeting from Michael Cohen, Trump’s ex-lawyer, and David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher.

The jury of seven men and five women started deliberations around 11:30 a.m. and their discussions will be private. They can send notes to the judge requesting to rehear testimony or to communicate a verdict.

Judge Juan M. Merchan told jurors it was their responsibility to evaluate the evidence and to be fair and impartial, as they had promised during the selection process.

After the jury instructions, Trump expressed doubt about the trial, calling it unfair and saying, “Mother Teresa could not beat those charges, but we’ll see. We’ll see how we do.”

Trump and his legal team, as well as prosecutors, were required to stay in the courthouse during deliberations. Trump continued to post on social media, criticizing the trial and sharing opinions favoring his case.

In a post, he claimed ignorance about the charges in the “rigged” case and stated his entitlement to specifics, saying, “There is no crime!”

Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with concealing negative stories about him during his 2016 campaign. The charges stem from reimbursements to Michael Cohen for a payment to Stormy Daniels. Trump denies the allegations.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.