Trump’s Hush Money Trial: When will closing arguments start? How long could they take?

The first criminal trial of a former US president kicked off in earnest with opening statements on 22 April. A Manhattan grand jury indicted Donald Trump on 34 counts of “falsification of business records in the first degree.” Normally that would be a misdemeanor but as it was part of election interference, as the prosecution claims, the charges were bumped up to felonies.

The prosecution rested its case after bringing 20 witnesses in front of the 12-member jury including David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, and Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, who were part of a ‘catch-and-kill’ scheme in the run-up to the 2016 elections to benefit Trump.

As well the jury heard testimony from Stormy Daniels, the porn star Trump allegedly had paid $130,000 to avoid the affair she claims to have had with him ten years prior from going public before Americans voted.

The defense for its part only called two witnesses before resting their case, one of which had run-ins with Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the case, prompting him to clear the courtroom briefly. Trump has pled not guilty to the charges but it will now be up to the jury to decide but first they must hear closing arguments.

When will closing arguments for Trump’s hush money trial start? How long could they take?

While witness testimony wrapped up on 21 May the trial has been on pause due to the Memorial Day holiday and both sides will give closing statements starting Tuesday 28 May. This was done to ensure that both the defense and prosecution have a fair shake at presenting their final statements to the jury without a long gap in between each.

The defense will go first as it is up to the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to the jury that Trump is criminally guilty of the acts he has been charged with, thus a higher bar to cross. The decision must be unanimous that he is either guilty or innocent, otherwise it will result in a ‘hung jury’.

It is believed that the lead defense attorney for Trump, Todd Blanche, will give that side’s closing statement. He’s expected to say that the prosecution has not met the burden of proof to convict Trump.

Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass is slated to deliver the prosecution’s closing arguments. He can be expected to highlight evidence and testimony supporting their case.

If there are no delays closing statements from both sides could perceivably be concluded in one day. That would mean that jurors could be given jury instructions from Judge Merchan and then deliberations may begin. However, depending on what time the closing statements finish, the jurors may not start that process until the following day. There is no telling how long it will take them to reach a conclusion.

What happens if Trump is found guilty?

If convicted, ‘falsification of business records in the first degree’ is considered a class E felony in New York, meaning the presidential candidate could face up to four years in prison or a fine of up to $100,000 per count, or both, in addition to the costs of prosecution.