Trump "hush money" trial closing arguments expected

>>> CLOSING ARGUMENTS ARE SET TO BEGIN TOMORROW IN THE FIRST CRIMINAL TRIAL OF A FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT. DONALD TRUMP FACES 34 COUNTS OF ALLEGEDLY FALSIFYING RECORDS TO COVER UP A SO-CALLED HUSH MONEY PAYMENT MADE TO ADULT ACTOR STORMY DANIELS. PROSECUTORS CALLED 20 WITNESSES TO THE STAND IN AN EFFORT TO STATE THEIR CASE. THE DEFENSE CALLED TWO WITNESSES . LET'S BRING IN CBS NEWS LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR FOR MORE ON THIS, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO HEAR TOMORROW AND HOW DO YOU THINK THE FACT THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT DIDN'T TESTIFY? DO YOU THINK JURORS WILL BE ASKING THEMSELVES WHY DIDN'T WE HEAR FROM HIM ABOUT THIS? >> THEY MIGHT BUT THEY WILL GET AN INSTRUCTION THAT THEY CAN'T CONSIDER THAT. WE KNOW THAT DEFENDANTS HAVE A RIGHT NOT TO TESTIFY. WE KNOW THAT THE PROSECUTORS CAN'T SAY, AND SHOULDN'T YOU WONDER WHY THE DEFENDANT HERE DIDN'T TESTIFY? THAT IS NOT ALLOWED. THEY MIGHT TO THEMSELVES THINK ABOUT THAT. IT IS ALSO THE CASE THAT IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF CRIMINAL CASES DEFENDANTS DON'T TESTIFY BECAUSE THE RISKS ARE SO BIG PARTICULARLY IN CROSS- EXAMINATION. WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PARTICULAR DEFENDANT TESTIFY, I THINK WE CAN ALL IMAGINE WHAT THAT CROSS- EXAMINATION MIGHT LOOK LIKE. THINK ABOUT THE CROSS- EXAMINATION OF MICHAEL COHEN, HOW THAT LASTED DAYS AND DAYS AND THERE WERE LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS CREDIBILITY. THAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED AND EVEN MORE SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE FORMER PRESIDENT. IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN EXPECT TOMORROW, I THINK WE CAN EXPECT THE PROSECUTION TO SAY THIS CASE IS NOT HARD. SURE THERE IS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STEPS YOU THE JURY HAVE TO TAKE THE LET'S LOOK AT ALL OF THE EVIDENCE YOU HEARD, LET'S LOOK AT WHAT MAKES MOST SENSE HERE AND THEN LET'S GO AHEAD AND CONVICT. THE DEFENSE WILL DO THE OPPOSITE. THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT TIMES AND THE INTENT TO COMMIT ANOTHER CRIME, ARE YOU REALLY SURE THAT ALL OF THIS OLD EVIDENCE AND TESTIMONY THE OLD EVENT ADDS UP TO A CONVICTION? >> THE JURORS HAVE BEEN AWAY FROM A CASE FOR THE PAST WEEK HOW DIFFICULT DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE FOR THE JURY TO BE BROUGHT BACK UP TO SPEED? >> I THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD MOMENT FOR BOTH SIDES TO REBOOT . WE HEARD A LOT OF TESTIMONY, A LOT OF DAYS, A LOT OF EVIDENCE. HERE IS WHAT IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO FOR THE DEFENSE THEY WILL HAVE TO REWIND -- REMIND THE JURY STEP-BY-STEP. DIDN'T THAT EVIDENCE SEEM INCONSISTENT, FOR BOTH SIDES WILL BE A LOT OF REMINDERS TO THE JURY ABOUT WHAT THEY HEARD. >> THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN ASKING MYSELF BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF TRUMP IS CONVICTED AND WE HAVE A ARTICLE ABOUT THAT SAYING ESSENTIALLY NO ONE CAN REALLY SAY, WHETHER THE POTENTIAL STEPS THAT WOULD BE TAKEN IN THE CASE OF A CONVICTION. >> I AGREE WITH THE HEADLINE, THERE WERE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FORKS IN THE ROAD. ONE THING FOR US ALL TO REMEMBER IS THAT A CONVICTION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE ABSOLUTELY WOULD BE PRESENT TIME . THAT IS WITHIN THE DISCRETION TO SAY WHAT THE SENTENCE WOULD BE. THE OTHER THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT THERE WOULD BE A REPEAL. YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT ANY TYPE OF SENTENCE WOULD BE STAYED WHILE AN APPEAL WAS ONGOING. IN THIS CASE, THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT THE DEFENSE COULD BRING UP ON APPEAL SO THERE ARE JUST SO MANY FORKS WE DON'T REALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN EXCEPT I DO WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY, THE CONVICTION DOESN'T MEAN AND THEREFORE BY THE END OF THE WEEK THE FORMER PRESIDENT WAS INSIDE A STATE PRISON CELL, THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK.

Channel: CBS News

Views: 24,873

Keywords: Donald trump, Hush money, criminal trial, closing arguments, prosecution, jury, stormy daniels, Michael Cohen, Juan merchan, New York, Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, CBS News, Politics

Id: aqyIfW6WoTM

Length: 4min 20sec (260 seconds)

Published: Mon May 27 2024