NEW YORK (AP) – Donald Trump's lawyers on Monday pressured the judge overseeing his hush money trial to stop sending the case to a jury and drop the charges after prosecutors finish presenting their evidence. Ta.
Judge Juan M. Marchan did not immediately rule on the defense's request. The request came at the end of a busy day in which the judge admonished defense witnesses for their behavior on the stand and briefly removed reporters from the courtroom.
What you need to know about Trump's hush money trial:
The trial resumed Tuesday with former federal prosecutor Robert Costello, whom Trump's lawyers called to the stand to attack the credibility of the prosecution's star witness, Trump lawyer-turned-adversary Michael Cohen. Additional testimony is expected to be given.
Mr. Cohen, at least for now, has sought to cover up disgraceful stories about himself and falsified internal business records to conceal them as part of President Trump's plan to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election. He was the last witness for the prosecution, which is trying to prove that. .
During hours of cross-examination, Trump's lawyers highlighted Cohen's past lies and criminal history, highlighting the dangers of prosecutors relying on the now-disbarred man. Cohen testified early Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump's company, but his confessional defense team used that testimony as key testimony from Cohen implicating the former president in a hush-money scheme. I would like to ask a question.
After the jury had left for the day, defense attorney Todd Blanche told the judge that the case should be thrown out immediately because prosecutors couldn't prove their case. Blanche implored the judge “not to rely on Mr. Cohen's testimony and take this case to a jury.”
Former President Donald Trump addresses reporters after the day's trial proceedings in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in New York. (Stephen Hirsch/New York Post, via AP, Pool)
The judge, seemingly unfazed by the argument, asked the defense attorney if he thought “legally this person is not worthy of belief and therefore should not be considered by the jury.”
“You said his lies were irrefutable,” the judge replied. “But is he going to trick 12 New Yorkers into believing this lie?”
The defense's request came after a chaotic scene in which the judge became so enraged by Costello's behavior on the witness stand that he briefly removed reporters from the courtroom and into the hallway.
During his testimony, Costello repeatedly berated Marchand by making comments under his breath and continuing to speak after repeated objections. This was a signal to the witnesses to stop speaking. At one point, Costello said, “Wow,” interrupted by his dissent. He also called the entire exercise “ridiculous.”
After addressing the jury, Marchand told Costello: “If you don't like my verdict, don't say 'hmm'… You don't look at me sideways or roll your eyes.”
Associated Press correspondent Julie Walker reports that the judge in Donald Trump's hush money case has scheduled closing arguments for May 28th.
Mr. Costello, a former New York federal prosecutor, is relevant to the case because he has played the role of Mr. Cohen's adversary and critic since his working relationship with Mr. Cohen dramatically disintegrated.
Mr. Costello said the lawyer's hotel room, office and home were searched and Mr. Cohen remained defiant in the face of a criminal investigation or cooperated with authorities in the hope of securing more lenient treatment. Shortly after he was forced to make a decision, he offered to represent Mr. Cohen.
Costello testified that Cohen told Trump he “knew nothing” about the $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, who is at the center of the case.
“Michael Cohen said over and over again that President Trump knew nothing about these payments and that he did them on his own accord, and he repeated that over and over again,” Costello told jurors.
Returning to the stand for a fourth day, Cohen told jurors that he stole from the Trump Organization after his 2016 holiday bonus was reduced from the usual $150,000 to $50,000.
Mr. Cohen claimed he paid $50,000 to a technology company to artificially boost Mr. Trump's standing in a CNBC online poll of famous businessmen. Mr. Cohen said he only gave the company $20,000 in cash in a brown paper bag, but he asked Mr. Trump for a full refund and received the difference.
“So you stole from the Trump Organization?” defense attorney Todd Blanche asked.
“Yes, sir,” Cohen replied. Mr. Cohen never repaid the Trump Organization, he said. Mr. Cohen has never been charged with stealing from Mr. Trump's company.
Cohen is a key witness, but he is also a complicated character. He admitted to numerous lies on the witness stand, many of which he claims were intended to protect Trump. served in prison After pleading guilty to various federal charges, including lie to Congress and the banks He was also involved in campaign finance law violations related to the hush money scheme. Additionally, he frequently slams the former president with vulgar language on social media and has earned millions of dollars from books critical of the former president.
But when prompted by Blanche, Cohen stood by his recollection of a conversation he had with Trump about hush money payments to Daniels, which is at the center of the case.
“There's no doubt in your mind?” Blanche asked whether Cohen specifically remembered having a conversation with Trump about the Daniels issue. Without a doubt, Cohen said.
Jurors could begin deliberating whether Trump is guilty as early as next week after more than four weeks of testimony about sex, money, tabloid intrigue and details of Trump's corporate record-keeping. There is sex. 34 felonies for falsifying business records in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president.
The charges stem from internal Trump Organization records where payments to Cohen were marked as legal fees. Prosecutors argue that these were actually reimbursements for payments made to prevent Daniels from going public with claims that she had a sexual relationship with Trump before the 2016 election. There is. President Trump insists there was nothing sexual between the two.
Mr. Trump has maintained his innocence. His lawyers argue there was nothing criminal about the contract with Daniels or the way Cohen was paid.
“There was no crime,” Trump told reporters after arriving at the courthouse on Monday. “We paid the legal fees. Do you know what it's marked? Legal fees.”
Once Trump is finished questioning witnesses, prosecutors will have the opportunity to call rebuttal witnesses. The justices cited scheduling issues and said they expected closing arguments to be held on May 28, the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
His lawyers said they hadn't yet decided whether Trump would testify, and he did not respond to shouted questions from reporters about whether his lawyers had advised him not to take the stand. Defense lawyers are generally reluctant to put their clients on the witness stand and subject them to intense questioning by prosecutors because it often does more harm than good.
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Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Michelle Price in New York, Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
