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Trump trial live updates: Drama sweeps courtroom as defense tries to get case tossed kbtt.fm - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kbtt.fm Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The prosecution in Donald Trump's hush money trial has rested its case after star witness Michael Cohen concluded his testimony. Cohen spent nearly four full days on the stand before
SimpleImages/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern:May 20, 5:02 PMJudge says he'll reserve his decision on motion to dismissResponding to the defense's motion to dismiss the case, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo Colangelo argued that Trump, at a minimum, can be found responsible for the actions of his accomplices if he set the action into motion."At minimum a rational jury can conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that they all contained false information," Colangelo said of the business records that recorded Michael Cohen's hush money repayment as legal expenses.Trump, at the defense table, jotted down notes as Colangelo spoke."The trial evidence overwhelmingly supports each element of the offense," Colangelo argued.Defense attorney Todd Blanche pushed the theory that Trump has argued since the first days of the trial: How else would Trump describe a payment to his lawyer other than a legal expense?"It's hard to imagine what book -- how was this supposed to be booked by Ms. Tarasoff," Blanche asked about Trump Organization accounts payable supervisor Deborah Tarasoff.Judge Merchan said he will reserve his decision on the motion.Court was then concluded for the day.May 20, 4:52 PMDefense moves for dismissal of caseThe defense made a motion for the dismissal of the case, with defense attorney Todd Blanche telling Judge Merchan, "There's absolutely no evidence the filings were false, the business records were false."When the invoices for Cohen's payment were sent to the Trump Organization there's no evidence they were entered improperly, Blanche said. "At the start, there is absolutely no false business filings. They're accurate business filings," he said.Trump looked directly at Blanche as the attorney addressed Merchan."There's no evidence that there's any intent to defraud by Mr. Trump in connection to these filings," Blanche argued."There are no other crimes," defense attorney Todd Blanche argued about the legal standard in the case -- that Trump falsified business records in furtherance of another crime. "There is no evidence that any one was thinking about a campaign finance charge in 2016 when this payment was made to Ms. Daniels.""The prosecutors have talked in their opening statement and in papers about some sort of conspiracy to influence the election but as the court knows there has to be something illegal about this effort," Blanche said. "There's no evidence from any of the witnesses who testified of any criminal intent.""There is no way that the court should let this case go to jury relying on Mr. Cohen's testimony," Blanche said "Without Mr. Cohen, there is no case."Judge Merchan asked if Blanche was calling for him to rule that Cohen's testimony is "not credible as a matter of law.""Absolutely, that's exactly what we're calling on the court to do," Blanche replied. "He testified, and he lied under oath -- in this courtroom."May 20, 4:43 PMDefense says it has no additional witnesses 'at this point'Asked by Judge Merchan if they have any additional witnesses, defense attorneys responded, "Not at this point."Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger said she has no more than 45 minutes of cross-examination left when court resumes tomorrow.The defense will have then some redirect.May 20, 4:37 PM'He was putting on quite a show,' Costello says of CohenUnder cross-examination from prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, Michael Cohen's former attorney Robert Costello testified that he first met with Cohen at the urging of Jeffrey Citron, who scheduled the April 2018 meeting at the Regency Hotel.Costello -- who has represented Leona Helmsley and George Steinbrenner in the past -- acknowledged that representing Cohen would have generated positive publicity for his law firm. But Costello said he did not have positive feelings about landing Cohen as a client."I didn't want him as a client with the firm," Costello said, pushing back on prosecutors' assertions that landing Cohen would have been a big win.Jurors briefly saw an email where Costello's son congratulated him for landing Cohen as a client."Wow. That's big news. Congrats Dad. I hope this leads to a lot of good things coming your way," Costello's son wrote.Asked about the FBI's raid on Cohen's office and hotel room, Costello said, "I wouldn't use the term raid -- they executed a search warrant.""He was suicidal that day and acting very manic," Costello said about Cohen's behavior after the FBI searched on his hotel and office.""You thought he was being a drama queen, didn't you?" Hoffinger asked."He was putting on quite a show and he explained to us that two nights before he was on the roof of the Regency Hotel and he was going to jump off and kill himself because he couldn't handle the pressure," Costello said.Testimony subsequently concluded for the day, with Costello scheduled to return to the stand tomorrow.May 20, 4:24 PMCostello testifies that he never pressured CohenAfter Judge Merchan brought the jury back to the courtroom, defense attorney Emil Bove resumed his direct examination. The judge did not reference his admonition of Robert Costello.Costello testified that Cohen instructed him to contact Rudy Giuliani on June 7, 2018. Jurors saw phone records showing that Cohen and Costello spoke for 46 minutes that day.Jurors saw another email between Cohen and Costello in June 2018."Please remember if you want or need to communicate something, please let me know and I will see that it gets done," Costello wrote."Did you ever put any pressure on Michael Cohen to do anything?" Bove asked."No," Costello answered."Did you ever pressure him to interact with Rudy Giuliani in a certain way?" Bove asked."Not at all," Costello said.Costello added that Cohen never paid his legal bills to Costello's firm.Costello's direct examination then concluded.May 20, 4:13 PMJudge blasts defense witness: 'Don't give me side-eye'Attempting to rebuff the idea that Michael Cohen's then-attorney Robert Costello was asserting pressure on Cohen not to flip on Trump, Costello testified that Cohen was also trying to get information from him -- a backchannel that went both ways."Cohen was trying to get information from Rudy Giuliani?" defense attorney Emil Bove asked."That's correct," Costello said.Following another objection, Costello let out an audible breath. Judge Merchan then sent the jury out of the courtroom."I'd like to discuss proper decorum in my courtroom," he admonished Costello. "If you don't like my ruling, you don't give me side-eye and you don't roll your eyes. Do you understand that?"Costello said he understood.Then Merchan abruptly said: "Are you staring me down?"A furious Merchan then ordered the entire courtroom cleared out.After a resolution was reached, everyone returned to the courtroom.May 20, 4:04 PMCostello says Cohen said Trump knew nothing of Daniels paymentMichael Cohen's former attorney, Robert Costello, testified that in their initial meeting on April 17, 2018, Cohen said Trump did not know about the payment to Stormy Daniels."Michael Cohen said numerous times that President Trump knew nothing about those payments, that he did this on his own, and he said that numerous times," Costello testified."Jeez," Costello muttered when Judge Merchan sustained an objection following another question.The judge h
(NEW YORK) -- Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.Trump last April pleaded not
The Latest | Prosecution rests its case in Donald Trump's hush money trial piquenewsmagazine.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from piquenewsmagazine.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Latest | Prosecution rests its case in Donald Trump's hush money trial squamishchief.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from squamishchief.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Trump trial live updates: Drama sweeps courtroom as defense tries to get case tossed woad.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from woad.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.