Jury deliberates on Trump's guilt, judge tells them to set aside personal beliefs

(Patria) - Twelve jurors from New York began deliberations today on whether to find Donald Trump guilty in the first criminal trial of a US president in history, VOA reports.

The decision could potentially affect the outcome of the November presidential election, in which Trump – the Republican presidential candidate – will try to return to power.

Juror identities unknown

After more than 20 witnesses testified in recent weeks, public attention is now focused on the jurors, whose identities are kept secret for their safety, in light of rising political tensions in America.

Before the jurors began deliberations, the judge told them to "set aside personal beliefs".

"You must set aside personal beliefs, for or against the defendant," Judge Juan Merchan said today.

He also told the jurors they could not rely solely on the testimony of key witness Michael Cohen, who played a major role in the case against Trump.

After receiving the judge's final instructions, the jury began to consider the case, the outcome of which – whatever it may be – will have a huge impact on Trump and the entire country.

Jurors are not limited by deadlines, but they must reach a unanimous decision on whether Trump is guilty or not guilty. If even one juror decides to abstain, the judge will have to order a retrial.

Trump is accused on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, in exchange for her not publicly discussing their affair during the 2016 election campaign.

He is accused of deceiving voters by falsifying documents, as he wanted to prevent the story of the alleged affair with the porn star from negatively affecting his campaign image.

Trump has denied all charges and claims the process is politically motivated.

If found guilty, the political consequences would outweigh the gravity of the charges, given that five months before the election, one of the candidates would be a convicted criminal.

Trump took to his social media today to again accuse the court of being illegitimate and the judge of being corrupt and in a conflict of interest.

Trump faces prison

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass argued in his closing statement on Tuesday that Trump conspired to influence the 2016 election and tried to cover it up.

He also said that the jurors should consider the broader political implications, such as the possibility that Trump, with the help of friends – in this case, tabloid publisher David Pecker – undermined the electoral process by controlling information that influenced voters.

Trump's legal team stated that the prosecution had not proven that the former president was guilty of falsifying business documents.

"President Trump is innocent. He committed no crime, the district attorney failed to prove it. Period.

This is not a referendum on Trump. If you focus on the evidence you heard in this courtroom, it will be very clear that he is not guilty," said Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche.

If found guilty, Trump could face up to four years in prison for each count, but legal experts say it is unlikely he would be sentenced to jail time, given that it is his first offense.

In addition to the New York case, indictments have been filed against Trump in the capital, Washington, and in Georgia for conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

He has also been indicted in Florida for retaining classified documents after leaving the presidency.

The New York trial is likely the only one to be held before the election in which Trump will face incumbent President Joe Biden.

According to polls, the race between Biden and Trump is very close.