Donald Trump trial: How does the jury deliberations process work and when will they reach a verdict?

Published

1 year ago

May 30, 2024

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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

How much of the White House is Trump demolishing?

Published

6 hours ago

October 24, 2025

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How much of the White House is Trump demolishing?

👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈

Donald Trump begins bulldozing much of the White House as his plans to build a mega ballroom begin – without planning permission, nor true clarity as to how it’s all being funded.

There are aesthetic questions, historical questions and ethical questions. We dig into what they are.

And – who is the young Democratic socialist about to become New York City’s first Muslim mayor? We tell you everything you need to know about Zohran Mamdani.

You can also watch all episodes on our YouTube channel – and watch David Blevins’ digital video on the White House ballroom here.

Email us on trump100@sky.uk with your comments and questions.

US

Furious Trump cancels ‘all trade negotiations’ with Canada after TV advert

Published

8 hours ago

October 24, 2025

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Furious Trump cancels 'all trade negotiations' with Canada after TV advert

Analysis: Escalation will test Trump and Carney’s relationship

Trump turning once again on America’s closest ally Canada just proves how flippant his trade decisions are.

The smooth-talking confidence of Prime Minister Mark Carney persuaded Canadians to vote for him in this year’s election.

He certainly ran on a pitch to stand up to Trump, but his recent dealings with the US president have largely been diplomatic and cordial.

Carney was last in the Oval Office just over two weeks ago, and the pair laughed off Trump’s obsession with Canada becoming the “51st state”.

But now it’s a single advert from the government of Ontario that has triggered Trump to pause all trade talks between the two, calling its anti-tariff stance “egregious” on his social media platform Truth Social.

The advert uses Ronald Reagan’s voice to attack tariff policy – arguing trade barriers “hurt every American worker and consumer… markets shrink, and collapse, businesses and industries shut down and millions of people lose their jobs”.

But now, the Ronald Reagan Foundation has said the ad “misrepresents” his words – and they did not give their permission to use it.

Mere hours before Trump’s post, Carney was prodding Trump jokingly to bet on the outcome of the baseball World Series.

Given this latest escalation by the President tonight, their next interaction will be far from a laughing matter.

US

Putin criticises Trump’s sanctions on oil firms – as Russian jets ‘briefly enter NATO airspace’

Published

14 hours ago

October 23, 2025

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Putin criticises Trump's sanctions on oil firms - as Russian jets 'briefly enter NATO airspace'

Vladimir Putin has described Donald Trump’s sanctions against two major oil firms as an “unfriendly act”.

However, the Russian president has insisted the tightened restrictions won’t affect the nation’s economy, a claim widely contradicted by most analysts.

In a major policy shift, Mr Trump imposed sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil – Russia’s biggest oil companies – on Wednesday.

The White House said this was because of “Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine”.

Putin has now warned the move could disrupt the global oil markets, and lead to higher prices for consumers worldwide.

A meeting between the two leaders had been proposed in Budapest, but Mr Trump said he had decided to cancel the talks because “it didn’t feel right to me”.

Speaking from the Oval Office, he had told reporters: “I have good conversations. And then, they don’t go anywhere. They just don’t go anywhere.”

Giving a speech in Moscow yesterday, Putin said “dialogue is always better than war” – but warned that Russia will never bow to pressure from abroad.

Earlier, his long-term ally Dmitry Medvedev had described Mr Trump as a “talkative peacemaker” who had now “fully embarked on the warpath against Russia”.

Oil prices have witnessed a sizeable jump since the sanctions were announced, with Brent crude rising by 5% – the biggest daily percentage gains since the middle of June.

In other developments, Lithuania has claimed that two Russian military aircraft briefly entered its airspace yesterday.

A Su-30 fighter and Il-78 refuelling tanker were in the NATO member’s territory for 18 seconds, and Spanish jets were scrambled in response to the incident.

Russia’s defence ministry denied this – and said its planes did not violate the borders of any other country during a “training flight” in the Kaliningrad region.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended a European Council summit in Brussels to discuss the war in Ukraine – and said the meeting had delivered “good results”.

He said Ukraine had secured political support for frozen Russian assets and “their maximum use” to defend against Russian aggression, adding the EU would “work out all the necessary details”.

Mr Zelenskyy thanked the bloc for approving its 19th sanctions package against Russia earlier today, and work was already beginning on a 20th.

European leaders are going to arrive in London later today for a “critical” meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” – with the goal of discussing “how they can pile pressure on Putin as he continues to kill innocent civilians with indiscriminate attacks across Ukraine”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “The only person involved in this conflict who does not want to stop the war is President Putin, and his depraved strikes on young children in a nursery this week make that crystal clear.

“Time and again we offer Putin the chance to end his needless invasion, to stop the killing and recall his troops, but he repeatedly rejects those proposals and any chance of peace.

“From the battlefield to the global markets, as Putin continues to commit atrocities in Ukraine we must ratchet up the pressure on Russia and build on President Trump’s decisive action.”