The judge presiding over former President Donald Trump's trial in Manhattan delivered the jury its instructions ahead of the prosecution and defense teams delivering their respective opening remarks Monday morning.
Trump arrived at the Manhattan courthouse Monday morning, after 12 jurors and six alternates were seated and sworn in on the panel last week. Judge Juan Merchan on Monday morning detailed the panel's instructions, including reminding the jury that the defendant is presumed innocent unless the prosecution team proves Trump is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The trial, which is anticipated to last six weeks, will allow jurors to take notes, but Merchan reiterated to the jurors that they cannot discuss the case with anyone, adding that they also cannot visit any places where a crime allegedly unfolded, and that they cannot research the case.
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Merchan also explained to the panel that jurors must operate fairly, that the defense team is not required to prove Trump's innocence, and that the 45th president is also not required to testify.
The jurors were reportedly listening intently as Merchan described their rules surrounding the case. The trial is not televised, but media is permitted in an overflow room in the courthouse.
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The trial’s origins reach back to October of 2016, when Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen paid former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with the then-real estate tycoon in 2006. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels.
Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. He pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen, and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor, but prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with an intent to commit or conceal a second crime, which would be a felony.
Monday's trial schedule will include opening remarks from both the prosecution and the defense teams, and is anticipated to hear from the first witness called by the Manhattan district attorney’s office on Monday, David Pecker.
Pecker served as the former chairman of the National Enquirer’s parent company American Media Inc., and allegedly was a key figure of a "catch and kill" scheme ahead of the 2016 election. Daniels reportedly agreed to grant exclusive rights to the National Enquirer on her claims of an affair with Trump, with Pecker allegedly contacting Cohen to "purchase" Daniels' silence on the alleged affair.
The trial Monday was supposed to conclude at 2 p.m., ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover beginning at sundown, but will wrap up at 12:30 due to a juror's toothache and dental appointment.
Trump slammed the trial in brief comments to the media earlier Monday, calling it a "Biden" trial and saying Americans should "understand" that his criminal trial is taking place "for the purposes of hurting the opponent of the worst president in the history of our country."
"I just want to say before we begin — these are all Biden trials," Trump said before opening statements were delivered Monday. "This is done as election interference. Everybody knows it."
"I’m here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania and Georgia and lots of other places campaigning, and it’s very unfair. Fortunately, the poll numbers are very good," Trump continued. "They’ve been going up because people understand what’s going on."
