The trial of former President Donald Trump, where he faces charges related to falsifying business records, could see a ruling by Judge Juan Merchan on a motion to dismiss the case. Trump has been charged with falsifying business records 34 times to hide a payment made to Stormy Daniels. Following days of testimony from Michael Cohen, the prosecution rested its case and the defense called its witnesses. Trump’s defense argued that there is no evidence to support the charges and that Cohen’s testimony should not be considered as credible.
The defense maintained that there was no intent to fraudulently conceal the payment to Stormy Daniels and that the alleged “catch and kill” strategy did not amount to criminal behavior. They highlighted a lack of evidence of any campaign finance violations and criticized Cohen’s credibility, given his history of lying under oath. The defense sought to have Cohen’s testimony excluded from consideration by the jury, arguing that he had been dishonest.
The prosecution contended that under New York state law, anyone involved in causing falsified records can be held accountable. They emphasized the sequence of events that led to the falsification of records and argued that Trump’s actions played a pivotal role in this process. Judge Merchan reserved a ruling on the case to decide if it should proceed to the jury for deliberation.
During the trial, Cohen testified about stealing money from the Trump Organization and his involvement in the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. He claimed that Trump was aware of and approved the payment, which was made to prevent negative publicity during the 2016 election campaign. The defense called witnesses who contradicted Cohen’s claims and testified that Trump had no knowledge of the payment.
As the trial progressed, tensions arose between the defense witnesses and Judge Merchan over their reactions to objections raised by the prosecution. The judge admonished one witness for inappropriate behavior in court. The defense announced that they would not call any additional witnesses, indicating that Trump would not testify in his defense. Closing arguments are scheduled for the following week, marking a critical point in the trial as both sides present their final arguments before a verdict is reached.
