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The transcript captures a dramatic week in Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York City. The prosecution rested its case after testimony from Michael Cohen, while the defense called a surprise witness, Bob Costello, who ended up reinforcing Cohen's claims about being pressured by Trump's team. There was chaos when Costello had a confrontation with the judge, who cleared the courtroom temporarily.
Key moments included Cohen admitting to overcharging Trump's company by $30,000, potentially damaging his credibility. The judge and lawyers also haggled over jury instructions during a charging conference, with both sides seeking favorable language that could sway the jury's interpretation of evidence and legal standards.
With evidence concluded, closing arguments are expected next week, after which the jury will begin deliberations and could potentially reach a verdict on the 34 felony charges against Trump related to the Stormy Daniels hush money payment.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York saw high courtroom drama this week, including a confrontation between a defense witness and the judge.
- The credibility of star prosecution witness Michael Cohen took some hits when he admitted to overcharging Trump's company.
- Negotiations over jury instructions revealed the high stakes, with both sides angling for language that could sway interpretations of evidence and law.
- Closing arguments will happen next week, representing a climactic moment before the jury begins deliberations on Trump's guilt or innocence.
- A verdict on the 34 felony charges against Trump related to the Stormy Daniels hush money payment could potentially come as early as next week.
- The courtroom scenes underscored the unique circumstance of a former president being forced to follow protocol in a legal arena.
- Intense media coverage has saturated the trial, though the jury is instructed not to consume any of the blanket news reporting.
- The outcome will hinge on whether the jury views the prosecution's case led by Cohen as credible beyond a reasonable doubt.
Top Episodes Quotes
“His demeanor throughout this is fascinating, of course, and we've talked about it in previous episodes. The whole idea of him being forced to sit in this courtroom that he insists is absolutely freezing, having no agency about when he can speak, where he can go, it's a shame.“ by Sarah Smith
― This quote highlights the unique circumstances of a former president having to follow courtroom protocol, underscoring the high stakes and spectacle of the trial.“After this whole Bob Costello drama, we break for a little bit. We come back to this charging conference, which is what it's known, where it's quite dry but very important, where both parties haggle over things that they want the judge to include when he finally gives his jury instructions.“ by Kayla Epstein
― This quote explains the importance of the charging conference in shaping the jury instructions, a crucial behind-the-scenes process that could significantly impact the outcome.“What will happen next week is that after both sides give their closing statements to the jury, their summary, it's called a summation, their summary of the whole case, the judge will then give them a list of instructions for how they can apply the law, what evidence they can and can't consider.“ by Kayla Epstein
― This quote previews the significance of the upcoming closing arguments and jury instructions, setting the stage for the climactic phase of the trial.
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Episode Information
Americast
BBC Radio
5/24/24
Former US President Donald Trump’s trial in New York is in its sixth week, where he’s accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. He’s pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and also denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels.
This week, there was a moment of chaos when Justice Merchan ordered the jury out of the courtroom to admonish defence witness Bob Costello for his conduct on the stand.
Sarah and Anthony, alongside the BBC’s US reporter, Kayla Epstein, take a look at Costello’s evidence, and when we could expect a verdict on the historic trial.
HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent • Kayla Epstein, BBC reporter covering the trial in New York
GET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email Americast@bbc.co.uk • Or use #Americast
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
This episode was made by George Dabby with Rufus Gray. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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