For years, it was known as a “zombie” case in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Many thought their case against Donald Trump would have a natural jury appeal, but this particular application of the law will be new and untested. On Thursday, the zombie came back to life.
“Guilty.” In a stuffy, harsh courtroom, the jury told the world’s most powerful defendant 34 times.
The law on the books certainly benefits the prosecution. The state took an illegal crime – the so-called “books and records” case – and made it a felony years after the events in question. New York law does not require juries to agree on the primary “unlawful means” leading to the crime. And prosecutors had only one witness — convicted of perjury — who directly linked Mr. Trump to the alleged crime.
However, the jury was told twice that they could not convict on Michael Cohen’s word alone. They are instructed to draw any reasonable inferences from the available evidence. They were instructed to leave any prejudice for or against Mr. Trump at the door.
Until one of the twelve jurors speaks, the public won’t know what happened between those New Yorkers in the deliberations. But watching them in court almost every day for almost seven weeks, they were busy and alert, even in difficult conditions and long days.
The political turmoil associated with this belief will manifest itself over time. But as a legal matter, it’s just getting started. Appeals, potential delays and more disputes are inevitably on the way. Only time will tell if the zombie will fall back down.