Jury deliberating fate of former President Donald Trump in historic business records trial
Jury requested to rehear testimony from David Pecker and Michael Cohen, as well as revisit part of judge's instructions on the law
Trump charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels
Trump pleaded not guilty and contends payments were for legitimate legal services
In a historic and unprecedented trial, a jury in New York is deliberating the fate of former President Donald Trump. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records at his company in connection with an alleged scheme to hide potentially embarrassing stories about him during his 2016 Republican presidential election campaign. The charges arise from reimbursements paid to Michael Cohen after he made a $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels to silence her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump has pleaded not guilty and contends the payments were for legitimate legal services. He has also denied the alleged extramarital affair.
The jury, which includes seven men and five women, began deliberations on May 30, 2024. During their first day of deliberations, they requested to rehear testimony from former American Media Inc. CEO David Pecker and ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen. They also asked to revisit part of the judge's instructions on the law.
The jury in Donald Trump’s hush money trial is resuming deliberations after requesting to rehear potentially crucial testimony from a tabloid publisher and Trump’s former lawyer and personal fixer.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records at his company in connection with an alleged scheme to hide potentially embarrassing stories about him during his 2016 Republican presidential election campaign.
To convict Trump, the jury would have to find unanimously that he created a fraudulent entry in his company’s records or caused someone else to do so with the intent of committing or concealing another crime.
The charge, a felony, arises from reimbursements paid to then-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen after he made a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to silence her claims that she and Trump had sex in 2006.
Trump has pleaded not guilty and contends the Cohen payments were for legitimate legal services. He has also denied the alleged extramarital sexual encounter with Daniels.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article does not contain any direct quotes from the author making editorializing, pontification or author opinions. However, it does contain selective reporting as the jury's requests to rehear specific testimony are only mentioned in relation to their potential relevance to the case. The article also contains sensationalism through its use of phrases such as 'history-making case', 'stunning legal reckoning for Trump', and 'major win for Trump'.
A guilty verdict would deliver a stunning legal reckoning for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee as he seeks to reclaim the White House while an acquittal would represent a major win for Trump and embolden him on the campaign trail.
The jury is to resume deliberations Thursday after asking to rehear potentially crucial testimony about the alleged hush money scheme at the heart of the history-making case.
A New York jury will continue deliberations for a second day in the historic and unprecedented criminal trial of former President Trump.
Judge Juan Merchan delivered jurors instructions to consider charges brought against the former president.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
During deliberations Wednesday, the jury sent two notes to the judge, including a request to hear his instructions again and a request to hear testimony again from former American Media, Inc. CEO David Pecker and ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(80%)
The article contains selective reporting as the author only reports on the requests made by the jury to hear certain testimonies again and does not mention that these requests were denied by the judge. The author also quotes Trump making statements about 'key witnesses' and 'big players' without providing any context or names, which could be seen as an attempt to manipulate emotions and create intrigue.
Trump lamented 'a lot of key witnesses' were not called by the prosecution he says should have been.
The jury can decide if it wants to stay until 6 p.m. Thursday evening to continue its deliberations, if necessary.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records at his company in connection with an alleged scheme to hide potentially embarrassing stories about him during his 2016 Republican presidential election campaign.
To convict Trump, the jury would have to find unanimously that he created a fraudulent entry in his company’s records or caused someone else to do so with the intent of committing or concealing another crime.
The tense tick, tick, tick of jury deliberations at Trump’s first criminal trial
The jury in Trump’s trial includes seven men and five women, headed by a foreperson who grew up in Ireland.
Prosecutors are using a novel interpretation of the law to try to hold Trump accountable for the 2016 presidential election, which they claim involved tax law infringements and intent to falsify other documents.
Ex-presidents typically have deference, magnetism, and Secret Service details even after their formal powers are gone. They run on their own time and dominate every room. However, after weeks in a courthouse, Trump can only sit and watch the minutes tick by before he learns if he will enter November’s election as a felon.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article contains editorializing and sensationalism. The author uses phrases like 'high-security', 'grimy old Manhattan courthouse', 'historic task', and 'hush money trial that could brand the 45th president a convicted felon'. These phrases are used to manipulate the reader's emotions and create a sense of drama around the situation. The author also uses phrases like 'big question in a prosecution' and 'ex-president is facing 34 charges of falsifying business records', which are sensationalized statements that may not accurately reflect the current state of the case.
The presumptive GOP nominee’s immediate fate is in the hands of jurors who were cross-examined for signs of political bias before the trial began and include a West Harlem man who works in sales, a young female teacher and a speech therapist. Two of the jurors are attorneys and could potentially give deliberations some structure.
a buzzer demanding the judge’s attention sounded, suddenly sending lawyers, court staff, police and reporters rushing for their seats.
Ex-presidents cruise through life in a bubble of deference. Their magnetism lingers along with Secret Service details even after their formal powers are gone. They run on their own time and dominate every room.
In this case, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office raised the possibility of tax law infringements and the intent to falsify other documents and suggested Trump may have wanted to violate election law using ‘unlawful’ means to deprive someone else of an election win.
The mood flips from torpor to high tension in a second
Trump is charged with falsifying business records in connection with an alleged hush money scheme to hide potentially embarrassing stories during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Jury in Donald Trump’s hush money trial resumed deliberations on Thursday.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting as the jury's request to rehear testimony from a tabloid publisher and Trump's former lawyer is only mentioned, while the context of why these testimonies are crucial to the case is not provided. The author also uses emotional manipulation by stating that a guilty verdict would deliver a 'stunning legal reckoning for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee' and an acquittal would be a 'major win for Trump'.
A guilty verdict would deliver a stunning legal reckoning for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee as he seeks to reclaim the White House while an acquittal would represent a major win for Trump and embolden him on the campaign trail.
The jury in Donald Trump’s hush money trial is to resume deliberations Thursday after asking to rehear potentially crucial testimony about the alleged hush money scheme at the heart of the history-making case.
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes an appeal to authority by reporting the opinions of the Manhattan District Attorney's office and Trump's legal team regarding the burden of proof and need to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The author also reports on jurors asking to rehear testimony from David Pecker, which implies that this testimony is potentially crucial or influential in their decision-making process.
The jury would have to find unanimously that something unlawful was done to promote Trump’s election campaign, they don’t have to be unanimous on what that unlawful thing was.
Jurors also want to hear Pecker’s account of a phone call he said he received from Trump in which they discussed a rumor that another outlet had offered to buy former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s alleged story that she had a yearlong affair with Trump in the mid-2000s. Trump has denied the affair.
Pecker testified that Trump told him, ‘Karen is a nice girl’ and asked, ‘What do you think I should do?’ Pecker said he replied: ‘I think you should buy the story and take it off the market.’ He added that Trump told him he doesn’t buy stories because they always get out and that Cohen would be in touch.
Pecker said he came away from the conversation thinking Trump was aware of the specifics of McDougal’s claims. Pecker believed the story was true and would have been embarrassing to Trump and his campaign if it were made public.
