In a pivotal moment of former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York, State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan instructed the jury that the testimony of Michael Cohen alone could not be the basis for a conviction.
This directive came as the jury weighs the credibility of Cohen, whose testimony implicated the ex-president in a scheme involving an adult film actress.
Justice Merchan emphasized that Cohen is legally considered an accomplice in the case, necessitating his testimony to be supported by additional evidence for it to be deemed reliable.
Testimony of Michael Cohen is not enough
“Under our law, Michael Cohen is an accomplice,” the judge explained.
“If you find the testimony of Michael Cohen to be believable, you may not convict the defendant solely upon that testimony unless you also find it’s corroborated by other evidence.”
“There is no particular formula for evaluating the truthfulness and accuracy of another person’s statement,” the judge noted, underscoring the jury’s role in discerning the reliability of the evidence presented. In his remarks, Justice Merchan highlighted that despite the defense’s efforts to challenge the prosecution’s witnesses, the burden of proof remains firmly on the prosecutors.
Burden of proof with prosecutors
He reminded jurors that Trump is “not required to prove that he is not guilty” and that the defendant is “not required to prove or disprove anything.”
“As a juror, you are asked to make a very important decision about another member of the community,” Justice Merchan addressed the jury, urging them to put aside any personal biases and focus solely on the evidence and the law. “It is not my responsibility to judge the evidence here. It is yours.”
As the trial continues, all eyes are on the jury, who now bear the critical task of sifting through the evidence to determine Donald Trump’s fate.
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