It’s a case that should never have been brought. But between the partisan left-wing prosecutor and the hand-picked Biden-donor judge, this bogus case over a non-crime has finally reached the jury deliberation stage.
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New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in what he claimed was an attempt to conceal a perfectly legal non-disclosure agreement with adult film star Stormy Daniels. The charges would normally be for a misdemeanor that would result in a fine — just ask Hillary Clinton — but Bragg found a way to twist the law to elevate the alleged crime to a felony as part of the radical left’s efforts to put Trump in prison and prevent him from returning to the Oval Office.
It’s long seemed likely that the best Trump can hope for is a hung jury, though legal experts have observed that Bragg’s case fell apart so spectacularly that an unbiased jury would acquit him. Of course, it’s been obvious from the beginning that the jury is not objective.
The deliberations will start after state Judge Juan Merchan finishes delivering his instructions to the 12-person jury on the laws it will need to consider as it decides the historic case. His instruction is expected to take about an hour.
The jury could render a verdict as soon as Wednesday afternoon, though it could take days and even stretch into next week.
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From where I sit, the longer the jury deliberates, the better the outcome for Trump. We’ve observed the way the jury was stacked with anti-Trump partisans, but if at least one juror reaches a non-guilty verdict, that remains Trump’s best chance for a hung jury, and it will likely take a few days of deliberation before the jury would come back unable to achieve a unanimous verdict.
Americans across the country are awaiting the verdict with baited breath, but the public has virtually zero visibility into the jury’s deliberations, which happen behind closed doors.
Merchan instructed the jury to set aside their personal feelings or opinions when deliberating about the case and reminded them that, as with all criminal trials, it’s the prosecution’s duty to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
He also instructed the jurors not to draw any inferences either way from the fact that Trump himself did not testify.
“President Trump is innocent. He did not commit any crimes, and the district attorney has not met their burden of proof. Period,” Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, told the jury.
According to the Washington Post, if Trump is found guilty, his punishment would be up to Merchan.
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Trump’s punishment if convicted would be up to Merchan, who would receive input from the prosecution and defense in the presentencing report. Though jail or prison are unlikely, the former prosecutors said, alternatives such as probation or home confinement would create logistical challenges and potential political concerns.
If he is sentenced to probation, for example, Trump would be required to clear any out-of-state travel — such as to campaign rallies and fundraisers — with a probation officer. If Trump were to serve home confinement at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., New York authorities would likely have to work with counterparts in Florida to accommodate him, the experts said.