Judge Merchan 'absolutely has the defense team sweating' during new jury instructions: CNN

Judge Juan Merchan's attempt to clarify jury instructions is creating new worries for Donald Trump's defense team, a former Manhattan prosecutor told a CNN panel on Thursday morning.

On the second day of jury deliberations, the hush money trial judge attempted to clarify how circumstantial evidence can be used in the 34-felony count trial, with CNN's Joey Jackson deploying what is known as the "rain metaphor."

Pressed by hosts John Berman and Kate Bolduan to explain the morning's proceedings, Jackson stated, "John, what is circumstantial evidence? We all walk outside right, now we don't see a droplet of rain coming from the sky, but the cars seem to be wet, there are puddles that are in the street, there are other people who were wearing raincoats."

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"What can we logically infer? That it was raining outside," he elaborated. "So did you see it, John? Did you see it Kate? Did you see it, Jeremy [Saland]? None of us saw it but we could reasonably infer based upon the surrounding circumstances that it happened. That's the prosecution's main argument here."

"If the jury buys the circumstantial rain metaphor, it spells trouble for the defense," he added.

"And we'll just draw a little common sense that's the other word we need in there as well," former prosecutor Saland interjected.

"And also the rain metaphor sounds even more ominous the way Joey was describing it," co-host Bolduan contributed before asking, "But Jeremy talk about when, if they want more information and we read the tea leaves on it, this has the defense team sweating?"

"Absolutely, absolutely" he replied. "Even if we don't see it's wet, we see it over here. I've got common sense yeah. So absolutely this seems favorable, we don't know we're not there, but it seems very favorable."

Watch the video below or at this link.

CNN 05 30 2024 09 55 10youtu.be