All it would take to prevent a guilty verdict in former President Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial would be one juror. If one juror sides with the defense, it would create a hung jury, resulting in a mistrial. According to a report from the Bulwark’s Marc Caputofor, that might be a real possibility.
According to the report, Trump’s legal team has focused on one juror who may prevent a guilty verdict.
“There are eight people on that jury who definitely hate Trump. If there’s one person who doesn’t, it’s [this] juror,” one court attendee told Caputo.
Caputo went on to describe the juror further, saying: “As the trial has progressed since April 15, these sources relate, this juror has appeared to nod along in seeming accordance with the defense at times,” reported Caputo. “On other occasions, the juror has seemingly reacted favorably to and made eye contact with Trump’s congressional surrogates who began joining him in court in recent weeks.”
The reporter mentioned one occasion, when Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and some of Trump’s other high-profile supporters appeared at the courthouse, this juror appeared to “lit up”.
The prosecution also appears to be aware of this juror’s leanings. “There’s one juror that people are worried about and I share the worry,” Harry Litman, a Democrat former Justice Department official, wrote Tuesday on X. “Can’t identify her or him per judge’s orders but seems less engaged and slightly irritable.”
Nevertheless, trying to predict how the jury will vote is tricky.
“You just never know what people are thinking or what they’re gonna do,” said one Trump insider. “Yeah, the [juror] looks friendly. But maybe [the juror is] just doing that to [expletive] with us before they vote to convict.”
Jury deliberations are expected to begin Wednesday. Before deliberations, the panel will receive instructions from the judge on the law governing the case and what they can take into account in evaluating the former president’s guilt or innocence.
The charges Trump faces are 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. These can be punishable by up to four years in prison. Trump has denied all wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
{Matzav.com}
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