One
On April 15, 2024, Trump's trial began.
On the same day, former U.S. President Trump went to the Manhattan court in New York to be tried in the "hush money" case, becoming the first former president to be tried for criminal trial, and he is also the presidential candidate in this election.
The "hush money case" refers to Trump's alleged hush money payments to a woman during his first presidential campaign in 2016, as which Trump faces 34 felony charges.
Early in the morning, barricades had been erected in front of the courthouse waiting for Mr. Trump's arrival, and helicopters searching and tracking Mr. Trump's motorcade reminded me of the 30-year hunt for former football star Simpson, when helicopters flew in the sky.
Just after 9 o'clock, Trump arrived, still wearing the standard blue suit and red tie, still so conspicuous. However, there is one more eye-catching than Mr. Trump's, Mr. Trump's deputy communications director, Margo Martin (pictured below), who was glared at by two of the courtroom's female staff the moment she opened the door.
Margot Martin, 28, is very topical, and her appearance at the trial will make Trump's appearance more attractive to the public.
Before entering the courtroom, Trump told reporters present that it was an unprecedented persecution.
The court opened at 9:30, the court was not allowed to film, and only some reporters were allowed to enter the scene, and these reporters observed and recorded some clips, which became the talk of everyone after dinner:
First, most of the time he looked serious, his chin was slightly raised, he looked tired, he said very little, and he said only three "yes" in response to the judge's questions throughout the morning.
Second, Trump seems to be asleep at certain moments: he leans back in his chair with his arms crossed, his eyes seemingly closed for a few minutes at a time. For a moment, Mr. Trump's chin was pressed against his chest, and he didn't notice the note his lawyer handed him, and his head kept dropping.
Third, when Trump was introduced as a defendant by the judge, he stood up, turned around, and smiled at potential future jurors — a smile that was called a "smirk."
It was the first day of the trial, and the courtroom agenda focused on discussions between the prosecution and defense on what evidence could be presented to the jury during the trial, followed by the selection of 12 jurors and six alternate jurors, and on 15 April, the first 96 jury candidates were selected.
When Trump left the courtroom, he said "it's a hoax."
Two
On April 19, 2024, the jury completed its selection and 12 jurors and six alternate jurors were seated.
In the United States, the jury has the final say on whether or not a criminal offense has been committed, and the judge only has sentencing powers. A suspect is guilty only if all 12 jurors reach a unanimous verdict finding him guilty. If there is a different voice, even if only one juror finds him innocent, the suspect is not guilty.
Simpson was suspected of murder that year, and when almost the whole world believed that he had killed someone, the jury did not convict him, and Simpson was acquitted.
Jurors are too critical.
In the United States, anyone can be a jury candidate, but not everyone who wants to be a juror can get their wish, and it is not easy for the court to select a jury, which is caused by the following three reasons:
First, people must be willing to serve as jurors.
There is no pay to be a juror in the United States, at most there is a small nominal allowance, and the Trump trial is expected to take 6 to 8 weeks.
Besides, in the trial cycle, jurors are almost isolated from the outside world and cannot make their voices heard.
Second, jury candidates should be neutral.
During the selection process, jury candidates are asked a series of questions to determine whether they have a pro- or anti-position against the suspect, which may affect their neutrality.
In New York, where the court is located, it is not easy to select a neutral jury. New York has always been the vote base of the Democratic Party, and the support rate of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party has almost reached 2:1, which is an important reason why the Trump team previously proposed to change the local trial. It's a pity that the judge has the final say on this matter, and Trump didn't do it.
On April 15, 2024, the first batch of 96 jury candidates participated in the selection, and when asked "whether they can perform their duties without any bias", more than 50 of the 96 said they could not.
Third, jurors must nod their heads to agree with both the prosecution and defense.
It is difficult to agree that a jury candidate thinks he or she is neutral, and one party thinks so, but the other party does not think that the jury candidate is neutral and can be dismissed.
This time, it took only one week for the court to select 18 jury members, which I think is very efficient.
Three
On April 22, 2024, the trial entered the opening argument stage of the prosecution and defense.
As the first witness in this case, David Peck, the former publisher of the National Inquirer of the United States, testified in court that day.
According to prosecutors' allegations, Peck was involved in the conspiracy to buy exclusive rights to Trump's negative news, which prosecutors say served as the eyes and ears of Trump's 2016 campaign.
During the roughly 30-minute testimony, Peck appeared relaxed, even smiling at prosecutors and sometimes speaking directly to jury members.
In court submissions, Mr. Trump's lawyers said Mr. Trump was innocent and had not been involved in falsifying business records other than signing the checks. In his opening remarks, Mr. Trump did not lash out, except for occasional expressions of displeasure, which was mild compared to the erratic appearances of the past.
During the trial, Trump spent most of the time motionless, sitting expressionlessly and unusually quiet. When the prosecution made its case, he didn't even look at the jury. From Trump's posture, you can read his disdain.
It wasn't until he concluded his arguments that Trump picked up his spirits, and slowly shook his head when prosecutors pleaded with a jury to convict him of 34 counts of fraud;
After the trial, Trump reiterated that he had done nothing wrong and again slammed President Joe Biden for persecuting him.
Four
The hush money case is held four days a week (no on Wednesdays), and Trump must attend the trial on court day before the verdict is officially announced, and he may be arrested if he is absent.
Historically, every time Trump runs into trouble, popular approval rises, and interestingly, the federal constitution does not explicitly stipulate that a prisoner cannot be president, and it is not unconstitutional for Trump to become president as a prisoner.
From this point of view, the outcome of the trial is not so important (of course, it is best to be acquitted), but it is important to fully enjoy the process and win more public support, which is really interesting.
——End of full text——
Solemnly declare: The picture is selected from the Internet, if there is any infringement, please contact to delete;