The jury in former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York City will resume deliberations on Thursday after reviewing key testimony and legal instructions from the judge. The 12 Manhattan residents on the jury requested to rehear testimony from witnesses David Pecker and Michael Cohen, focusing on interactions with Trump in 2015 and 2016.
During deliberations, jurors also sought clarification on the judge’s directions guiding their deliberations, with the testimony and instructions being reviewed in court. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to reimbursements for a hush-money payment made by Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Prosecutors allege that Trump attempted to conceal the payment by disguising the purpose of the reimbursements.
The testimony being revisited by jurors centered on interactions involving Cohen, Trump, and Pecker, the former CEO of American Media Inc. Prosecutors claim that the trio engaged in a “catch and kill” scheme to suppress negative stories about Trump. Specific points of interest for the jury included a phone call between Pecker and Trump in 2015, Pecker’s refusal to transfer life rights of a former Playboy model to Cohen, and a 2015 meeting at Trump Tower.
In court, the judge emphasized the process of making inferences from proven facts and the importance of corroborating evidence when considering an accomplice’s testimony. As jurors listened to testimony recitations, details emerged about Trump’s conversation with Pecker regarding a potential deal with Karen McDougal and Pecker’s decision not to proceed with transferring rights to Cohen.
Pecker’s account of the Trump Tower meeting in 2015, where the “catch and kill” scheme originated, was also revisited by the jury. The revelations shed light on Pecker’s role as Trump’s informant for potentially damaging stories. The trial’s progression continues as the jury carefully reviews the evidence and testimonies presented in court.