Donald Trump trial: How does the jury deliberations process work and when will they reach a verdict?
The jury has begun deliberating in Donald Trump’s hush money trial – as the world waits for the seven men and five women to reach their historic verdict.
The deliberations began on Wednesday after nearly two dozen witnesses, 16 days of testimony and hours of lawyers’ closing arguments.
Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with an alleged scheme to bury stories ahead of his 2016 presidential campaign.
It relates to reimbursements paid to Trump’s then lawyer Michael Cohen after he made a $130,000 (£102,000) payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.
Prosecutors say the reimbursements were falsely logged as “legal expenses” to hide the true nature of the transactions.
Trump, who is the first ever former US president to face a criminal trial, has denied all wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
He has claimed “Mother Teresa” could not beat the charges against him.
The jury is now deciding whether Trump is guilty of at least one of them.
Here’s a look at how the deliberations process works.
As it happened: Trump downbeat as jury sent out to decide fate
What is the jury deciding?
Trump will be convicted if the jury unanimously finds he created a false entry in his company’s records, or caused someone else to do so, with the intent of committing or concealing a violation of a state law making it illegal for conspirators “to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means”.
A conviction would mean that jurors all agreed that something unlawful was carried out to boost Trump’s election campaign.
However, they don’t have to be unanimous on what that unlawful thing was.
Read more:
What is Trump accused of?
Could Trump still be president if he’s convicted?
Who is the porn star at the centre of Trump’s hush money case?
Trump accused of trying to ‘hoodwink’ voters
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Trump and lawyer audio about hush money
Where will Trump be during the deliberations?
The former US president doesn’t have to stay in the courtroom itself during deliberations but must be in the building.
During the trial, he and his attorneys and security personnel had the use of a courtroom across the hall for breaks.
Where do deliberations take place?
Behind closed doors in a room reserved for the jury.
While the 12 jurors deliberate, the six alternate jurors who have also observed the whole trial will be in a separate space in the courthouse.
If a jury member is unable to continue because of illness or other reasons, an alternate juror will then take that person’s place, and deliberations will start again from the beginning.
What will we know about the discussions?
The public will know very little because they are held in secret.
The identities of the jurors are also kept from the public.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Stormy Daniels recalls encounter with Trump
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Do we know anything about the deliberations so far?
On the first day of deliberations, the jury sent two notes to the judge as they asked to rehear jury instructions as well as testimonies from National Enquirer publisher David Pecker and Trump’s former lawyer Mr Cohen.
The jury cannot be given a transcript and the testimonies will instead be read to them in the courtroom.
Judge Juan M. Merchan said it will take some time to gather the requested sections and about half an hour for it to be read aloud.
Donald Trump pictured grinning ahead of the judge giving final instructions to the jury. Pic: Reuters
While the attorneys and court were gathering that testimony, jurors sent a request to rehear the judge’s instructions on the laws applicable to the case.
Then jurors were brought into court and asked by the judge whether they wanted to hear all of the legal instructions or just part. After explaining that they could answer by note, he sent them home for the evening.
How long will jurors deliberate?
The jury will deliberate for as long as it takes.
The standard court day runs from 9.30am to 4.30pm local time, with a break for lunch.
Donald Trump walks out of the courthourse after the jury is sent out. Pic: Reuters
Can the jurors go home?
This particular jury isn’t sequestered – the legal term for isolating the panel from the outside world.
This means the jurors can go home at the end of each day.
What are the possible outcomes of the trial?
• Guilty – It only takes a guilty verdict on one count for Trump to receive a criminal conviction.
• Not guilty – To be acquitted, the jury must decide that Trump is not guilty on all counts.
• Hung jury – If the jury can’t reach a unanimous verdict, a hung jury can be declared. The judge would then have to declare a mistrial. A retrial could be held in this case.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Trump kids slam ‘sham trial’
What happens if there’s a verdict?
Jurors will send a note to the judge saying they have reached a verdict in the case. The note will not state what that verdict is.
The judge will then summon the former president, his defence team and prosecutors to the courtroom if they’re not already there.
The jury will then be brought in, before the foreperson – which in New York is usually the first juror who was chosen – will be asked whether the panel has reached a verdict.
If the answer is yes, the foreperson will then be asked what the verdict is for each count and will answer either “guilty” or “not guilty”.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Trump is a monster’ De Niro tells Sky News
What happens if there isn’t a verdict?
If jurors send a note saying they can’t reach a verdict, the judge will consult with both sides as he decides what to do next.
Defence lawyers might seek an immediate mistrial.
It could be granted, but often the response is to call the jury in for some form of instruction to keep trying.
When would Trump be sentenced if he was found guilty?
If guilty, sentencing will come four to six weeks after the verdict.
He faces up to four years in prison, although legal experts expect the former president to avoid jail time.
US
Well-fitted suits, pearls and ‘the same’ red tie: What Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’s fashion tells us about them
The style choices of politicians have long been scrutinised by voters and the media.
Women have historically been subject to more inspection for their looks than men.
But all politicians are communicating through their style, according to two experts.
“We receive most of our information, many of us, through screens and through the visuals,” says Hazel Clark, professor of design and fashion at the Parsons School of Design in New York.
Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has been leaning into trouser suits.
Ms Harris arrives to board Air Force Two in New York. Pic: AP
Ms Harris during a debate with Mr Trump. Pic: AP
“The well-fitted suit, the more masculine suit, is telling voters that she is not a politician’s wife, she is not the president’s wife, she is the president,” says Deirdre Clemente, professor of history at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.
She wore a dark suit to make her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
The presidential hopeful wore a dark suit to make her acceptance speech at the DNC. Pic: AP
The look “gives that sense of the legal profession, judges and authority. I think it was just saying ‘I’m here to be taken seriously, I can be your leader’,” says Ms Clark.
Many of the audience were wearing white, thought to be a reference to the suffragettes, who fought for women to have vote.
Many DNC audience members wore white as Kamala Harris made her acceptance speech. Pic: Reuters
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris wore a dark navy or black suit to make her acceptance speech at the DNC. Pic: Reuters
“I think there’s a lot of weight in the choice of white in the audience of the DNC that night and her choice of a black suit was a power move,” Ms Clemente said.
Donald Trump has had a consistent style for many years – he’s known for his dark blue suit and silky red tie.
Donald Trump at his 2017 inauguration. Pic: AP
Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with vice president Kamala Harris. Pic: AP
“He seems to have been wearing the same red tie since the 1970s. It seems to have gotten longer,” said Ms Clemente.
“It is his way of projecting power, confidence and stability.”
And his vice presidential pick JD Vance seems to have adapted his style to match.
Donald Trump with Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance at the Republican National Convention. Pic: AP
“It’s putting on a uniform to say we are all one, we are all following this person. I think sameness, perhaps, with the party as well,” said Ms Clark.
“With Trump it’s almost become like a costume now.”
Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have been seen wearing similar clothing. Pic: Reuters
Harris often wears a pearl necklace, a reference to her college sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, which was founded by black women at Howard University.
Kamala Harris wearing a pearl necklace in 2010. Pic: AP
“Her wearing of the necklace is absolutely a shout-out to all the women who have supported her and that sorority is central to that,” said Ms Clemente.
The vice president is also known for her love of Converse shoes.
Vice president Kamala Harris wearing Converse shoes as she arrives to speak at a campaign event. Pic: AP
The trainers, which are associated with American basketball culture, “are a powerful cultural tool because what she’s saying is these shoes are just like the ones you have in your closet”.
Vice president Kamala Harris speaks on the final day of the Democratic National Convention. Pic: AP
Mr Trump and his supporters often wear the instantly recognisable red Make America Great Again baseball cap.
“The MAGA hat has an incredible amount of power, especially here in battleground states,” said Ms Clemente. “You see MAGA hats all around.”
Donald Trump wearing a red MAGA hat in 2016 in Arizona. Pic: AP
Baseball caps are “ubiquitous in being used to signify something, it’s like having a slogan on your t-shirt”, says Ms Clark.
One accessory all US politicians are rarely seen without is an American flag pin badge on their lapel, which can be used to show patriotism.
It may also project a message that “we are all fighting for the same team” despite political differences, said Ms Clemente.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports6 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports11 months agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Environment1 year agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Environment1 year agoTesla advances Powerwall pilot project with German electric company