Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York, where he faces criminal charges similar to the 2016 secret payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. This is the first time in history that a former U. S. president has been tried on criminal charges.
Last April, Trump pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment accusing him of falsifying business records in connection with a secret cash payment his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, made to Daniels to boost his electoral chances in the 2016 presidential election.
READ MORE: Here’s what you want to know about this landmark case.
Leaving the courtroom after the twelfth day of his secret trial, Trump expressed confidence in his defense team: They were doing “very well. “
Asked about the timing of the trial after prosecutors informed Judge Merchan that they planned to close their case in two weeks starting tomorrow, Trump told reporters, “The government is just saying they need it three more weeks. . . That means it hasn’t taken me long to stay out of the way for two or three weeks. “
“I thought they were going to be done with this today. And they needed to do 3 weeks of jujitsu and play directly in front of the judges,” Trump complained. “The judges are happy to do 3 more weeks. “
After Judge Merchan warned him this morning that any long-term violation of the limited gag order could simply result in prison, the former president continued to criticize the gag order that prevents him from targeting witnesses, jurors, and others involved in the case.
“I have to be careful with each and every word I say to you: you asked me a question, an undeniable question, I’d like to ask it, but I can’t communicate it to you about it because this trial gave me this joke. order, you say. You’ll go to prison if you rape it,” Trump said. “And frankly, you know what? Our Constitution is far more vital than prison. He’s not even close to making that sacrifice at any point. “
-Mike Pappano of ABC News
Before Judge Merchan adjourned the day’s proceedings, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass reported that the prosecutor planned to call a previous witness: Manhattan District Attorney’s Assistant Law Attorney Georgia Longstreet.
According to Steinglass, Longstreet testifies about some of Trump’s social media posts and text messages between National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard and Stormy Daniels’ agent, Gina Rodriguez.
Mercan agreed to the plan, on the condition that defense attorneys have 24 hours’ notice before calling Longstreet. He will most likely testify again Thursday or Friday, Steinglass said.
Steinglass also raised considerations about defense attorneys’ court cases about the limited availability of the next witness and his applicable evidence.
“I don’t like to feel like we’re placing the defense as a sandbag,” Steinglass said, protecting the practice of withholding his next witness, given Trump’s recent violations of the case’s limited gag order.
“The defendant violated the order restricting extrajudicial freedom of expression and we don’t need the names of the next witnesses to be released,” Steinglass said.
“How are we doing in terms of planning?” Merchan to conclude the day.
Steinglass told Judge Juan Merchan that the state’s case will most likely conclude in two weeks.
“I would say about two weeks,” he said.
Then the defense case will follow.
With the arrival of People’s Exhibit 34, which bears Donald Trump’s signature, the jury has now noted the 34 allegedly forged invoices, ledger entries and documents, concluding the direct testimony of Deborah Tarasoff, a member of the Trump Organization staff.
Defense attorney Todd Blanche then conducted a brief cross-examination, in which Trump readjusted in his chair to get a better view of Tarasoff.
“You never had any explanation as to why President Trump was hiding anything from you, did you?” Blanche asked Tarasoff at the end of her cross.
“That’s right,” she replied.
Tarasoff then left the witness stand. Trump looked at her as he left the courtroom, but the two interacted.
As before, Tarasoff smiled at Eric Trump as he left the courtroom.
Then Judge Juan Merchan sent to the jury house to spend the day.
As she returned to the courtroom after the mid-afternoon recess, Deborah Tarasoff, a longtime member of the Trump Organization who still works at the company, patted Eric Trump, who was sitting in the front row of the spectators’ gallery.
Tarasoff’s main cross-examination resumed, and jurors paid close attention to his testimony.
While presenting the jury with Michael Cohen’s bills and the resulting records and checks (which come with the 34 charges of the prosecutor), the jury shifted their attention between Tarasoff on the witness stand, the evidence on the screen in front of them, and prosecutor Christopher Conroy.
Many jurors continued to take notes as they examined the evidence.
Trump, sitting at the defense table, also participated in testimony, spoke with his lawyers and reviewed evidence.
Prosecutors appear to be using Deborah Tarasoff, the Trump Organization’s accounts payable overseer, to portray Trump as more than just a passive actor in the alleged scheme to hide Cohen’s payments from authorities.
The defense has warned that Trump is a flexible guy who would blindly point to stacks of checks while doing many other things. But Tarasoff said Trump rejects checks.
“If he didn’t need to point it out, he didn’t,” Tarasoff said.
“Have you ever noticed a time when you didn’t sign a check?” prosecutor Chris Conroy asked.
“I’d write in white and I’d give it back,” Tarasoff responded, pointing to Trump’s unique signature, a black marker. “That’s what he uses,” she said, drawing on her 24 years of experience at the Trump Organization.