Former President Donald Trump’s New York defense team is hoping one juror won’t follow “the evidence and the law,” CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen said on “The Newsroom” Monday.
“In terms of argument, it will be fought over three issues. First, whether a jury can believe Michael Cohen’s key testimony, which is corroborated and supported by a mountain of evidence — in a sense, all of the prosecution’s work during the 20-day trial was to corroborate Cohen’s testimony. Second, whether a jury can find beyond a reasonable doubt that Donald Trump knowingly paid hush money to Stormy Daniels in 2016 in order to influence Trump’s federal election campaign after the Access Hollywood debacle, another sex scandal. Third, whether Trump contributed to the cover-up by creating forged documents, including nine checks with his own signature.”
Host Jim Acosta asked, “What are the chances of a guilty verdict? And how do you think that will play out?”
Eisen said, “This was a winnable case. In my view, having attended every day, it is still not a sure victory for the prosecutors. I think the chances of conviction are better than 80 percent. The defense, because of this ad-hoc approach, is not aiming for an acquittal. That’s not going to happen here. What they’re hoping for is one angry juror, one resistant juror who is very sympathetic to Trump or for some reason will not follow the evidence or the law. That’s what they’re aiming for. Just one.”
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