检察官在首次刑事审判在提交了200多份证据并听取了包括迈克尔·科恩在内的20名证人的证词后，美国前总统的历史性案件告一段落。周一，结束了近四天的作证。
辩方传唤了前两名证人——他们都不是唐纳德·特朗普——并着手削弱科恩的可信度。这一责任在很大程度上落在了科恩的前法律顾问罗伯特·科斯特洛(Robert Costello)身上。相反，他因涉嫌违反“法庭礼仪”而受到了法官默沙东的严厉指责。
科斯特洛将于周二早上出庭。
特朗普因涉嫌伪造商业记录以隐瞒一笔封口费付款这是他当时的律师科恩为了提高特朗普在2016年总统大选中的竞选前景而对成人电影女演员斯托米·丹尼尔斯说的话。前总统否认了所有不当行为。
以下是封口费刑事审判第19天的五大要点。
州政府停止陈述
在为期四周的证词中，检察官讲述了一个与2016年大选有关的所谓性、阴谋和谎言的故事-提交了200多份证据，并传唤了20名证人出庭。
这是一个历史性的案件-第一个针对美国前总统的案件-周一下午，检方休息。
最近几周，陪审员听取了成人电影女演员斯托米·丹尼尔斯的证词，她长期否认的与特朗普的婚外情支持了所谓的非法行为;大卫·派克是一家小报的高管，他承诺“一网打尽”有关特朗普的负面报道;特朗普的前律师迈克尔·科恩安排并执行了这笔付款。
迈克尔·科恩结束了他的证词
迈克尔·科恩在证人席上度过了近四天的时间，他引经据典地描述了唐纳德·特朗普如何涉嫌在2016年大选前伪造商业记录以隐瞒对斯托米·丹尼尔斯的付款。
科恩向丹尼尔斯支付了款项，他的证词为陪审员提供了至关重要的叙事组织。但是他的可信度——或者说可能缺乏可信度——可能会影响陪审团如何解读该州案件的是非曲直。
周一，科恩表示，他在2016年10月与唐纳德·特朗普就斯托米·丹尼尔斯的回报进行了“超过20次”面对面或电话交谈。
当他走下证人席时，州政府停止了诉讼。
“你在瞪我吗，”
科恩的前律师罗伯特·科斯特洛在证人席上待了不到15分钟，法官胡安·梅尔科姆就提出了一系列的反对意见。在这样的感叹之后，科斯特洛被听到在他的呼吸下喃喃自语，“呀。”
这种课外思考促使Merchan解雇了陪审员，并对科斯特洛进行了严厉的指责，命令他坚持“在我的法庭上保持适当的礼仪”。
“如果你不喜欢我的裁决，你不要说‘呀’，你也不要说‘驳回它’，因为我是唯一一个可以在法庭上驳回证词的人，”一名明显恼怒的商人说。“如果你不喜欢我的裁决，你不要给我侧目，也不要翻白眼。”
这件事似乎已经解决了。但是几秒钟后，Merchan咆哮道:“你在盯着我看吗?”
说完后，mercom采取了非同寻常的措施，将记者赶出了法庭。几分钟后，记者和陪审员回来了，马塞继续进行诉讼，但没有提及此事。
辩方提议驳回远射
在当天的诉讼程序结束之前，辩护律师托德·布兰奇(Todd Blanche)发起了一个长期的努力，试图在陪审团面前驳回此案——他在一个冗长的辩论中说，“没有任何证人证明任何犯罪意图。”
"向选民隐瞒一个虚假的故事怎么会是犯罪呢?"布兰奇问道，声音略微提高了。
在布兰奇指责科恩在证人席上撒谎后，默森打趣道:“你认为他会骗过12个纽约人，让他们相信他的谎言?”
法官说他将保留对该动议的裁决。
特朗普可能不会出庭作证
虽然唐纳德·特朗普的律师尚未明确排除他出现在证人席上的可能性，但这种可能性似乎越来越小。
布兰奇周一早些时候表示，他将传唤两名证人出庭作证，但没有指明他们的名字。当天结束时，他传唤了两名证人——一名律师助理和罗伯特·科斯特洛。
在法庭结束之前，法官Merchan问特朗普的律师，他们是否计划传唤任何其他证人。
“现在不是时候，法官，”辩护律师埃米尔·博韦说。
5 big takeaways from Day 19 of Trump's hush money trial
Prosecutors in thefirst criminal trialof a former U.S. president rested their historic case after presenting more than 200 pieces of evidence and hearing from 20 witnesses, including Michael Cohen, who concluded nearly four full days on the stand on Monday.
The defense called its first two witnesses -- neither of whom were Donald Trump -- and set out to undermine Cohen's credibility. That responsibility fell in large part to Robert Costello, a onetime legal adviser to Cohen, who instead earned a sharp rebuke from Judge Merchan for allegedly violating his "courtroom decorum."
Costello will return to the stand Tuesday morning.
Trump is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement of ahush money paymentthat Cohen, his then-attorney, made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to boost Trump's electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election. The former president has denied all wrongdoing.
Here are five big takeaways from Day 19 of Trump's criminal hush money trial.
The state rests its case
Across four weeks of testimony, prosecutors told a story of of alleged sex, schemes, and lies related to the 2016 election -- presenting more than 200 pieces of evidence and calling 20 witnesses to the stand.
It was an historic case -- the first to target a former president of the United States -- and on Monday afternoon, the prosecution rested.
Jurors in recent weeks heard from Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress whose long-denied alleged affair with Trump underpinned the alleged illegal conduct; David Pecker, the tabloid executive who promised to "catch-and-kill" negative stories about Trump; and Michael Cohen, Trump's onetime attorney who arranged and executed the payments.
Michael Cohen concludes his testimony
Michael Cohen spent nearly four full days on the witness stand, where he described in chapter and verse how Donald Trump allegedly falsified business records to conceal payments to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
Cohen executed the payments to Daniels, and his testimony provided jurors with crucial narrative tissue. But his credibility -- or potential lack thereof -- could impact how jurors interpret the merits of the state's case.
On Monday, Cohen said he had "more than 20" conversations, in person or by phone, with Donald Trump in October 2016 about the Stormy Daniels payoff.
The state rested its case when he stepped off the witness stand.
'Are you staring me down?'
Robert Costello, a former attorney for Cohen, had spent less than 15 minutes on the witness stand when Judge Juan Merchan sustained a string of the state's objections. After one such interjection, Costello was heard muttering under his breath, "Jeez."
That extracurricular musing prompted Merchan to dismiss jurors and issue Costello a stern rebuke, ordering him to uphold "proper decorum in my courtroom."
"If you don't like my ruling, you don't say 'Jeez,' you don't say 'Strike it,' because I'm the only one who can strike testimony in the court," a visibly annoyed Merchan said. "If you don't like my ruling, you don't give me side-eye and you don't roll your eyes."
The matter appeared settled. But seconds later, Merchan barked: "Are you staring me down?"
With that, Merchan took the extraordinary step of clearing reporters from the courtroom. After a few minutes, reporters and jurors returned and Merchan resumed proceedings without addressing the matter.
Defense moves for long shot dismissal
Before proceedings concluded for the day, defense attorney Todd Blanche launched a long shot bid to have the case dismissed before it goes to jurors -- saying in a lengthy argument that "there is no evidence from any of the witnesses who testified of any criminal intent."
"How on earth is keeping a false story from the voters criminal?" Blanche asked, his voice slightly rising.
After Blanche accused Cohen of lying on the stand, Merchan quipped, "You think he's going to fool 12 New Yorkers into believing his lies?"
The judge said he would reserve his decision on the motion.
Trump probably won't take the stand
While Donald Trump's attorneys have yet to definitively rule out his appearance on the witness stand, the prospect seems increasingly unlikely.
Blanche indicated early Monday that he would call two witnesses to the stand, without identifying them by name. By the end of the day, he had called two witnesses -- a paralegal and Robert Costello.
Before court concluded, Judge Merchan asked attorneys for Trump whether they planned to call any additional witnesses.
"Not at this point, judge," said defense attorney Emil Bove.
