Opening statements are set to begin Monday morning in the case of the People of the State of New York v. Donald Trump, the first criminal trial of a former president.
The trial’s first witness is also expected to take the stand, although his cross-examination is expected to take place later in the week.
Attorneys for both sides will present opening statements after the judge instructs the jury of 12 and six alternates, NBC News reported.
Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office are expected to expose what they called an “illegal conspiracy” to “cover up criminal conduct that concealed information harmful to voters during the 2016 presidential election “.
They claim Trump worked with his then-lawyer Michael Cohen and executives at the National Enquirer to suppress scandalous stories, including those about adult film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. Daniels says she slept with Trump in 2006, and McDougal says she had a 10-month sexual relationship with Trump that ended in April 2007. Trump has denied sleeping with either women.
Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet, while Enquirer publisher AMI paid McDougal $150,000. After being elected president, Trump reimbursed Cohen in a series of payments that prosecutors say were fraudulently characterized as legal fees. Trump has acknowledged reimbursing Cohen, but maintains the payments were legitimate and he did nothing wrong.
Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the discreet payment of money to Daniels, which was made in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. The former president, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
Cohen, Daniels and McDougal, as well as former AMI director David Pecker, are expected to testify at the trial, which is expected to last six weeks.
It is unclear who will deliver the prosecution’s opening statements Monday. The prosecutor’s office declined to comment Friday.
Todd Blanche will deliver the defense’s opening statement. He is expected to argue that Trump committed no wrongdoing and that jurors cannot trust what Cohen and Daniels tell them because both have a case to make against the former president.
The jury is made up of seven men and five women. The final day of jury selection, Friday, was particularly intense, with some potential jurors breaking down in tears and saying they were too eager to serve on the jury. They were excused. That day, a man also set himself on fire in front of the courthouse.
Monday’s trial will be slightly shortened. Judge Juan Merchan said the court would adjourn at 2 p.m. ET Monday and Tuesday due to the Passover holiday.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said in court Friday that the prosecutor’s office plans to call a witness Monday, with direct testimony expected to take the rest of the day after opening statements. Trump lawyer Susan Necheles asked Friday for the identity of the witness, but Steinglass refused to release it, pointing out that Trump attacked witnesses, including Cohen, in social media posts despite a partial silence order prohibiting such action.
The judge called Steinglass’ position “understandable” and said he would not order prosecutors to reveal the witness until Sunday.
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