Jurors deliberate in Trump hush money trial

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – A jury is deliberating in the trial of former president Donald Trump.

The 12-person jury panel has to weigh the evidence and testimony presented since the trial started more than a month ago.

Just before noon Wednesday the judge sent the jurors to a private room to start their discussions.

Now, both legal teams, the judge, and the former president are left to wait.

“Mother Teresa could not beat these charges. These charges are rigged. The whole thing is rigged,” said Trump.

Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Prosecutors say he misrepresented hush money payments to cover up an affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Now the jury will decide if prosecutors proved that in court.

“The jury deliberation room has been called a black box. And no one knows what’s going on in there.,” said Judge Gregory Mize of Georgetown Law School.

Gregory Mize is a retired trial judge and Georgetown Law professor.  He says each jury deliberation looks different but with 34 counts, “I think it’s going to take a long time.”

Mize says the jurors will likely take a while to go over the testimony they heard over the past four weeks, and to discuss whether they believe the witnesses who took the stand.

“Credibility of witnesses is a key element,” he added.

The jurors have to reach a unanimous decision on every single count.

“They’re probably going to have some disputes among themselves, and they’ve got to resolve them to reach a unanimous verdict,” he said.

It only takes one holdout to complicate the case.

“The judge will be hands off, unless he receives a note: we’re deadlocked,” Mize said.

If the jury does get deadlocked, the judge could ask them to keep trying to reach a unanimous verdict but if the deadlock continues, he could eventually declare a mistrial.

So far, the jury has requested portions of testimony from two of the witnesses.

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