CNN Legal Expert Reveals Positive Jury-Related Development For Trump

A CNN legal expert has offered an intriguing perspective that might just tip the scales in favor of the defense in a pivotal moment from former President Donald Trump’s legal battle in New York. On Monday’s episode of “CNN News Central,” seasoned legal analyst and former U.S. Attorney, Michael Moore, dissected the potential impact of upcoming jury instructions by Judge Juan Merchan, suggesting a notable advantage for Trump amidst his trial over 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

The case, primarily hinging on the credibility of Michael Cohen—Trump’s former attorney and the prosecution’s key witness—entered a critical phase as Cohen resumed his testimony. Trump’s defense has been vigorously challenging Cohen’s reliability, which according to Moore, could significantly influence the jury’s perception.

“They really run a risk today of not ending strong. They had such a good week last week, at the end of the testimony, they had done so much damage to Cohen’s credibility,” Moore said. “They need to do what is hard for trial lawyers to do—that is just to learn when to keep your mouth shut and sit down,” Moore added, indicating that too much pressure could backfire.

Meanwhile, Jim Schultz, a former Trump White House lawyer and CNN legal commentator, pointed out a key moment in the cross-examination that could sway the jury. Schultz described an October phone call that was initially purported to involve Trump discussing hush money payments, which was later revealed to have been a call to Keith Schiller, Trump’s former bodyguard, addressing a completely different issue. “It does look like that was a very strong moment because it shows inconsistencies and perhaps a half-truth as Michael said or even a lie,” Schultz remarked.

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The phone call is pivotal as it directly challenges the link Cohen tried to establish between Trump and the alleged falsification of business records. The defense is likely to argue that if Cohen’s testimony about such a critical conversation is unreliable, then his entire testimony could be viewed with skepticism.

“I do think they’ll get the standard charge about whether or not they can believe a witness and the credibility is solely within their province,” Moore noted. Furthermore, he anticipates a unique charge regarding the notable absence of another potential witness, Allen Weisselberg, which could further complicate the prosecution’s case.

The legal analysts agreed that the jury’s instruction would play a crucial role in the trial’s outcome. If the jury harbors doubts about Cohen’s credibility or the prosecution’s evidence, it could result in a verdict that favors Trump.  Trump’s defense appears to be positioned advantageously as they leverage every opportunity to highlight the inconsistencies and potential biases in the prosecution’s key witness testimony.

During the defense’s fiery cross-examination today, Cohen confessed to stealing thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization. During the questioning, Trump attorney Todd Blanche challenged Cohen, asking, “You did steal from the Trump Organization based upon the expected reimbursement from Red Finch,” referring to a payment scheme involving $130,000 for Stormy Daniels and $50,000 for the tech company Red Finch.

Cohen, serving as the prosecution’s key witness, was the last to testify. Trump is battling 34 charges of falsifying business records, linked to alleged secret payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels.

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