27/ Klasfeld:
Hoffinger offers a volley of objections after the next series of questions to the witness. First, it's sustained, but the latest drew a sidebar.
"Approach," Merchan told the attorneys.
27/ Klasfeld:
Hoffinger offers a volley of objections after the next series of questions to the witness. First, it's sustained, but the latest drew a sidebar.
"Approach," Merchan told the attorneys.
28/ McB:
After a sidebar, Bove pulls up People's 208, the long email Hoffinger asked about minutes ago, especially a line in which Costello says something is "totally up to you" to Cohen.
29/ McB:
Q: Did you ever pressure Cohen to do anything?
A: No
Q: Did you ever have control over Cohen?
A: Completely not
Q: Does a lawyer ever control—objection, sustained.
Q: I want to ask about how you practice law—objection, sustained.
30/ McB:
After another two objections,
👉🏼Costello looks askance at Merchan, then back forward, and subtly rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
It's a shade of yesterday's pugnacious Costello, but ultimately he restrains himself👈🏼
31/ McB:
Bove is done—two questions from Hoffinger.
Q: You said that you gave Cohen a retainer agreement weeks later after meeting with him on May 3?
A: Citron gave it to him, but I was in the room.
...Hoffinger shows Costello the retainer agreement—Cohen never siged it? Correct. And he never paid you? Correct.
And that's it for Costello. He steps out.
32/ And to NOBODY'S surprise...because Trump is a chronic liar and completely predictable when it comes to these insulting claims and false bravado...
McB:
THE DEFENSE RESTS.
👉🏼Trump will not testify.👈🏼
33/ McB:
Merchan is now addressing the jury: normally you'd hear summations now, but in a case like this, summations will take a while, as will his jury instructions, which he predicts will take an hour.
Bc we're meeting only today and Thurs, Merchan says there's no way we could do what needs to be done in a cohesive manner, it would be too broken up—best thing would be to adjourn now until Tues. At that time they'll hear summations, then the jury charge, then deliberations.
34/ Pagliery:
He'll let the jury go home today early. They'll be off for quite the extended weekend.
We'll come back next Tuesday to hear lawyers deliver closing arguments. Wednesday, he'll give them instructions & they can start deliberating.
35/ Pagliery:
Jury steps out. Judge says lawyers can start working on proposed jury charges.
McB:
Now we're all excused until 2:15, when we're pick up the charging conference.
36/ McB:
Thinking ahead to next Tues, Merchan isn't 100% sure we'll finish both summations, so he asks if they'd consider working late that day.
Jury is excused until next week, after Memorial Day.