Jury deliberations heat up as Merchan receives questions from jurors

by Summer Lane

Photo: Alamy

In what may be a positive sign for President Trump, the jury deliberating on Wednesday over a verdict in the “hush money” case in New York has asked presiding Judge Juan Merchan several questions so far.

NCLU Communications Director Paul Ingrassia reported that the judge received a note at 2:56 p.m. ET that included four requests regarding information and testimony. He said the requests included tabloid publisher David Pecker’s testimony and alleged phone conversation with President Trump, Pecker’s testimony regarding an alleged Trump Tower meeting, and Michael Cohen’s testimony on that meeting.

The Associated Press revealed that jurors in this case cannot have “transcripts of testimony in the case while deliberating, nor can they be given a written copy of the instructions that were read to them Wednesday morning.”

Incredibly, the jury must instead send a request to the judge upon each question, any excerpt of witness testimony, and each scrap of evidence.

Turning Point USA President Charlie Kirk noted on X, “Just three hours into deliberations, the jury has come back to Judge Merchan with multiple questions. This could be a good sign for Trump, suggesting a holdout in the jury pool.”

Just hours before, news broke that Judge Merchan instructed the jury that they did not need a “unanimous” verdict to find Trump potentially guilty on any of the whopping 34 counts levied against him by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

While jury deliberations slogged on, President Trump responded to those instructions, writing on Truth Social, “IT IS RIDICULOUS, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AND UNAMERICAN that the highly Conflicted, Radical Left Judge is not requiring a unanimous decision on the fake charges against me brought by Soros backed D.A. Alvin Bragg. A THIRD WORLD ELECTION INTERFERENCE HOAX!”

Ingrassia observed as the day drew to a close on Wednesday, “…some legal commentators are reading the latest note request as indication that some jurors voted not guilty and the ones pushing for a guilty verdict are putting additional pressure, via the testimonial request, on those who are holding out.”

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