Trump trial jury set to begin deliberating verdict today after judge issues instructions
CBSN
The jury in Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York is set to begin deliberations Wednesday, marking the beginning of the end of the first criminal trial against a former president in U.S. history.
The 12 Manhattan residents will be tasked with reaching a unanimous verdict on each of the 34 felony counts of falsification of business records that Trump faces. Prosecutors allege he disguised the purpose of a year's worth of reimbursements to his attorney Michael Cohen, who paid $130,000 in "hush money" to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
Before deliberations get underway, Justice Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the trial, will issue crucial instructions to the jury, laying out the legal issues they must consider and the conclusions they must reach to find Trump guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge mostly sided with prosecutors during a hearing last week over what exactly those instructions will entail.
