Former President Donald Trump’s trial enters its final stages on Monday, with the prosecution’s embattled “star witness” Michael Cohen poised to take the final stand.
Mr. Trump’s defense last week undermined Mr. Cohen’s credibility, raising questions about whether the former fixer had spoken to Mr. Trump on the night of October 26, 2017, as Mr. Cohen claimed.
Cohen claimed that during that call, Trump approved a hush-money deal for Stormy Daniels, but Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche said that Cohen was Trump’s bodyguard that night. He provided evidence that he was talking about the 14-year-old who made the prank call.
Former Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen will leave the New York District Attorney’s Office on March 13, 2023. Cohen is the prosecution’s most central witness in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial. But Trump’s fixer-turned-enemy is equally challenging to star witnesses. The now-disbarred lawyer has a troubled history with President Trump. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
After the defense finishes cross-examining Cohen on Monday, the prosecution and defense will have a chance to question Cohen again, but the prosecution is expected to take a break. by new york times. The defense could call more witnesses or put Mr. Trump on the stand, but that is not expected and the defense could take time off as soon as this week. Closing arguments could be held as early as Tuesday.
Another key moment in the trial could come when Judge Juan Melchan issues instructions to the jury on how to consider the charges, which could help prosecutors. .
Both parties will provide proposed instructions, but the exact wording of the instructions will be determined by Merchan. Merchan can adopt suggestions, use standardized versions, or create their own. These instructions will be “an important part of the jury’s efforts to understand the logic of the prosecution’s case.” by washington post.
Judge Juan Marchan poses for a photo in his New York courtroom on Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
said Renato Mariotti, a Chicago defense attorney and former federal prosecutor. post“Jury instructions have a huge impact on the trial.”
“The outcome of a trial is determined by the jury’s specific instructions,” he said.
said Mark F. Scholl, a former prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. times“The judge’s instructions provide a road map for the jury.”
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