Tuesday's final statements for the criminal prosecution of Donald Trump came from the prosecutor of the hush-money case and the defense counsel of the former president.
Following New York law, the defense presented its remarks first.
In American history, this is the first criminal prosecution including former president. Trump has been accused of 34 felonies in altering corporate documents to hide embarrassing facts that would compromise his 2016 presidential campaign.
Specifically, it is claimed that Trump hid a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress, via then-lawyer Michael Cohen.
Beginning on April 15, the jury heard 22 witnesses spread over sixteen days of evidence. On Wednesday the case is supposed to be presented to the jury. Before deliberations, Judge Juan M. Merchan will give the jury directions.
About the goal of closing arguments in a trial and its influence on jurors rendering a decision, Northeastern Global News talked with Rose Zoltek-Jick, an associate teaching professor at the Northeastern University School of Law.
Within the full trial process, what function do closing arguments serve?
Although it is an argument when the attorney gets to compile the case they have provided or rebut the case the other side has presented, or attempt to expose weaknesses in it, a closing is not evidence.
It's a narrative. Evidence comes in piece at trial—document by document, witness by witness. Two opportunities a lawyer gets to create a narrative that ties things together are opening and closing arguments.
Thus, a closing offers an opportunity to state, in line with this, what has transpired throughout the trial and provide interpretation.
Does a closing speech influence the jury?
Of course, it does as it clarifies the whole narrative for the jurors. In this instance Trump's hush-money trial, the case has lasted many weeks and the prosecution summoned more than twenty witnesses. Putting things together or remembering everything is difficult.
The prosecution, who has the burden of evidence, sought to demonstrate that they had proved the case against President Trump beyond a reasonable doubt. They must therefore compile all the evidence to demonstrate that one piece of evidence links another piece of evidence and illustrate how the entire thing fits together as some evidence does not become evident until other evidence also surfaces.
What does "burden of proof" mean?
The prosecution must prove by means of the trial that the defendant has committed a crime on the books beyond a reasonable doubt, either on its own or in line with another. Every criminal matter has to be shown by the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.
And how might one define reasonable doubt?
It indicates there is no cause for questioning the case. The jury has no rational justification for not believing the evidence of the prosecution; that the case has been proved to the degree of moral certainty, that they may convict and feel sure that they have taken the correct choice.
One of the defenses available in a criminal prosecution is that the prosecutor has not shown sufficient evidence or enough quality evidence, or enough evidence that is believable to fulfill their burden that the case has been established beyond a reasonable doubt.
This is a challenging phrase to define; courts and judges have battled with it. It speaks about the volume and caliber of the evidence the jury choose to accept as accurate.
Does it matter what sequence closing arguments are given in?
The defendant initially goes in New York. The prosecutor responds first in many countries, then the defendant. Sometimes the prosecution has an opportunity to make a very brief refutation of anything fresh the defendant has brought up in their closing.
New York is unique in that the defendant moves first, however. This is justified by the prosecution bearing the burden of evidence and their final opportunity to inform the jury that they have in fact fulfilled that obligation.
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Kari Pettersen
Tuesday's final statements for the criminal prosecution of Donald Trump came from the prosecutor of the hush-money case and the defense counsel of the former president.
Following New York law, the defense presented its remarks first.
In American history, this is the first criminal prosecution including former president. Trump has been accused of 34 felonies in altering corporate documents to hide embarrassing facts that would compromise his 2016 presidential campaign.
Specifically, it is claimed that Trump hid a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress, via then-lawyer Michael Cohen.
Beginning on April 15, the jury heard 22 witnesses spread over sixteen days of evidence. On Wednesday the case is supposed to be presented to the jury. Before deliberations, Judge Juan M. Merchan will give the jury directions.
About the goal of closing arguments in a trial and its influence on jurors rendering a decision, Northeastern Global News talked with Rose Zoltek-Jick, an associate teaching professor at the Northeastern University School of Law.
Within the full trial process, what function do closing arguments serve?
Although it is an argument when the attorney gets to compile the case they have provided or rebut the case the other side has presented, or attempt to expose weaknesses in it, a closing is not evidence.
It's a narrative. Evidence comes in piece at trial—document by document, witness by witness. Two opportunities a lawyer gets to create a narrative that ties things together are opening and closing arguments.
Thus, a closing offers an opportunity to state, in line with this, what has transpired throughout the trial and provide interpretation.
Does a closing speech influence the jury?
Of course, it does as it clarifies the whole narrative for the jurors. In this instance Trump's hush-money trial, the case has lasted many weeks and the prosecution summoned more than twenty witnesses. Putting things together or remembering everything is difficult.
The prosecution, who has the burden of evidence, sought to demonstrate that they had proved the case against President Trump beyond a reasonable doubt. They must therefore compile all the evidence to demonstrate that one piece of evidence links another piece of evidence and illustrate how the entire thing fits together as some evidence does not become evident until other evidence also surfaces.
What does "burden of proof" mean?
The prosecution must prove by means of the trial that the defendant has committed a crime on the books beyond a reasonable doubt, either on its own or in line with another. Every criminal matter has to be shown by the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.
And how might one define reasonable doubt?
It indicates there is no cause for questioning the case. The jury has no rational justification for not believing the evidence of the prosecution; that the case has been proved to the degree of moral certainty, that they may convict and feel sure that they have taken the correct choice.
One of the defenses available in a criminal prosecution is that the prosecutor has not shown sufficient evidence or enough quality evidence, or enough evidence that is believable to fulfill their burden that the case has been established beyond a reasonable doubt.
This is a challenging phrase to define; courts and judges have battled with it. It speaks about the volume and caliber of the evidence the jury choose to accept as accurate.
Does it matter what sequence closing arguments are given in?
The defendant initially goes in New York. The prosecutor responds first in many countries, then the defendant. Sometimes the prosecution has an opportunity to make a very brief refutation of anything fresh the defendant has brought up in their closing.
New York is unique in that the defendant moves first, however. This is justified by the prosecution bearing the burden of evidence and their final opportunity to inform the jury that they have in fact fulfilled that obligation.
Read Also : How does cloud computing revolutionize the way applications are deployed and managed?