What it was like in the courtroom when Trump’s guilty verdict was read

NEW YORK — After five weeks of testimony, Former President Donald Trump was convicted Thursday in his hush money trial in Manhattan..

The jury of seven men and five women found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.

CBS New York’s Alice Gainer was one of about 60 reporters seated in the main courtroom, and she was there every day of the trialwhich began on April 15.

“There was this audible gasp in the courtroom.”

Thursday was the second day of jury deliberations. The jury had sent two notes on Wednesday — one asking to review the testimony and another asking to rehear the judge’s instructions — but there were no notes from the jury all day Thursday.

Around 4:15 p.m., the judge entered the courtroom and announced that he was going to give the jury a few more minutes before dismissing it at 4:30 p.m.

Gainer said the former president seemed in good spirits when he entered the courtroom.

At 4:30 p.m., however, the judge returned to the courtroom and said the jury had reached its verdict and wanted another 30 minutes to fill out the forms.

“There was this audible gasp in the courtroom because no one expected it. They thought they were going to be sent away for the day and we’d be back tomorrow,” Gainer said. “When they said they had a verdict, he was sitting there and I saw him again with his eyes closed. And that’s his behavior throughout this whole trial. I don’t know if it’s intentional, he wants to give this impression. We I don’t know. We asked him… and he doesn’t answer this question.

Court officials asked the public to remain silent while the verdict was read.

“He was very red”

Shortly after 5 p.m., the jury was brought into the courtroom and the presiding judge read the verdict – guilty on all 34 counts.

Gainer says that even though reporters are in the main hearing room, they don’t have a clear view of Trump’s face because they’re sitting behind him, but there are video monitors they can watch with Twins. However, when the verdict was read, the defense table’s video feed was cut off, so they were unable to see Trump’s immediate reaction.

The jury members appeared expressionless and there was no audible reaction in the courtroom.

The defense attempted to file a motion for acquittal immediately after the verdict was read, which was denied. There was no visible reaction from prosecutors.

“When the former president left, his face was very red. He went, a little awkwardly, to grab the hand of Eric Trump, his son. I don’t know if he shook it or what he was trying to do, a dad-his-moment, and when he came out, he was a little sweaty, had a very angry look on his face,” Gainer said.

“There was a point where the judge asked, ‘What’s the bail status?’ And the prosecutors said, ‘Uh, there’s no bail.’ So the former president left, he left and we were immediately released from the courtroom,” Gainer added.

Trump then spoke to cameras outside the courtroomcalling the trial “rigged” and a “disgrace.”

In dismissing the jury, the judge said it was now up to them whether to speak publicly about the trial or not.

Sentencing is set for July 11 at 10 a.m.