NEW YORK, May 29: Twelve New York jurors were to begin deliberating Wednesday on whether to convict Donald Trump in the first ever criminal trial of a former US president -- with their decision potentially upending the November election in which the Republican seeks a return to power.
After weeks of testimony from more than 20 witnesses, the piercing glare of the legal spotlight now shifts to the jury, whose identities have been kept secret for their own protection amid soaring political tensions across the United States.
After receiving final instructions from the judge, the jury will retire to consider a verdict that -- whichever way it goes -- will have an outsized impact on Trump, and the country as a whole.
No time limit is placed on their deliberations, but an acquittal or conviction would require unanimity. If just one juror refuses to join the others, the judge would have to declare a mistrial.
Trump is accused of falsifying business records to reimburse a $130,000 payment to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels, when her account of an alleged sexual encounter could have imperiled his 2016 presidential campaign. Prosecutors say the fraud was motivated by a plot to prevent voters from knowing about his behavior. —AFP
