Twelve jurors are on deck and former President Donald Trump’s first criminal trial is racing toward its climax.
The trial is inextricably intertwined with the nation’s future and the former president’s bid to reclaim the White House. The panel of jurors has to decide if the prosecution missed anything in the case and if the defense was effective in poking holes in testimony from the star witness Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer.
For the jury to convict Trump, the prosecution needs to prove that he knew he falsified the records and that he did it for political gain. But even then there are questions about whether the jury needs to be unanimous on what “predicate” crime he committed.
On “Path to the Polls,” we explore questions such as how long the jury might be out, the potential for a mistrial or even a hung jury. And what if there is a conviction? What are the avenues to appeal and is jail likely?
And some court analysts say if the prosecution has proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, the jury could still decide for some reason they just don’t like the case and opt to acquit.
Jeremy Rosenthal, an accomplished trial lawyer who knows how to put cases together and tear them apart, joined me on this week’s live streaming episode of “Path to the Polls.” Rosenthal was a prosecutor before becoming a defense attorney. He provided some unique insight into the Trump criminal case.
You can press play above to watch a replay of Tuesday’s “Path to the Polls” episode. We’ll also have a News4JAX+ encore presentation at 7 p.m. Tuesday or watch any time on demand on News4JAX+, the News4JAX YouTube Channel and News4JAX.com.