The jury in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial is to resume deliberations Thursday after asking to rehear potentially crucial testimony about the alleged scheme at the heart of the history-making case.
The 12-person jury deliberated for about 4 1/2 hours on Wednesday without reaching a verdict. Besides asking to rehear testimony from a tabloid publisher and Trump's former lawyer and personal fixer, the jurors also requested to revisit at least part of the judge's hourlong instructions that were meant to guide them on the law.
It's unclear how long the deliberations will last. A guilty verdict would deliver a stunning legal reckoning for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee as he seeks to reclaim the White House while an acquittal would represent a major win for him and embolden him on the campaign trail. Since verdicts must be unanimous, it's also possible the case ends in a mistrial if the jury can't reach a consensus after days of deliberations.
Trump struck a pessimistic tone after leaving the courtroom following the reading of jury instructions, repeating his assertions of a “very unfair trial” and saying: “Mother Teresa could not beat those charges, but we'll see. We'll see how we do."
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