Here’s what to expect in Trump’s ‘hush money’ case next week

Thanks in part to the long Memorial Day weekend, the jury was given a full week’s break after the defense team of former President Donald Trump rested its case in his criminal trial on Tuesday. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought the case against Trump, accusing him of 34 criminal counts, including falsifying business records to cover up a payment of $130,000

A witness summoned by the prosecution, Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, played a major role in the defense’s case, resulting in a three-day, eight-plus hour cross-examination. The alleged “hush money” payment was money given to adult film actress Stormy Daniels leading up to the 2016 presidential election. Cohen testified he paid Daniels in exchange for her silence regarding her alleged affair with Trump, which she said happened in 2006 at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, during her testimony .

Braggs’ indictment claims that the time the payment was made to Daniels proves Trump’s team was trying to influence the election by using the “catch and kill” method to hide unfavorable stories about him. Matthew Colangelo, senior counsel to Braggs, went as far as to say that such actions are punishable as “ election fraud .”

Trump’s defense has argued back that nondisclosure agreements, like the one in question, are not illegal and are used often. Todd Blanche, Trump’s lead attorney, asserted that it was wrong for prosecutors to suggest any illegality in his efforts to secure a win in the 2016 presidential election.

“There’s nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy. They’ve put something sinister on this idea, as if it was a crime,” Blanche previously argued in court, per CBS News . “President Trump fought back like he always does, and like he’s entitled to do. To protect his family, his reputation and his brand. And that is not a crime.”

So, what’s next?

After the jury was dismissed on Tuesday, Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, approached a gathered crowd outside the Manhattan courtroom, saying that there is “no crime” in the case against him.

”Maybe they’ll try and devise one right now. The judge, he’ll help them out because the judge has been very helpful to the other side, and that should never be in our country,” Trump said in a video posted on his Truth Social account .

Judge Juan Merchan, a Democrat overseeing the case, put a gag order on Trump at the beginning of the trial, which Trump has been fined for violating on several occasions and has paid a total of $10,000 for. Merchan has warned Trump against violating it further, saying he does not want to put a former and possible future president behind bars.

“Remember, I’m gagged. I’m not allowed to say what I’d like to really say,” Trump added. “But I’m gagged, so why would I take the chance?

Once the court is back in session on Tuesday, this is what the timeline will look like:

Closing arguments: The jury will begin hearing closing statements from both parties but will begin with the prosecution, which will also get a chance to rebut following the defense’s summations. Prosecutors need to prove to the 12-person jury that there is no doubt whether or not Trump deliberately made or instructed others working for him to manipulate business records to hide a crime.

The business records in question, which was the payment to Daniels, were marked down as a “ legal expense .” Trump has openly said he believes marking the payments down as such is not a crime. He has also repeatedly denied any relationship with Daniels.

Trump’s defense team must convince at least one juror that Trump is not guilty of a crime to secure a mistrial or persuade them enough to ensure an acquittal.

Jury instruction: Merchan will inform the jurors on how to interpret the evidence given to them and the laws that govern them during their review of the case.

“Jurors will be told that they can only convict Trump if they believe he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” according to Reuters . “During deliberations, jurors will have access to all of the evidence and be able to ask questions of the judge, who will confer with prosecutors and defense lawyers before deciding how to answer.”

Jury deliberation: During this time, the dozen jury members will discuss the evidence and testimonies presented throughout the trial in hopes of reaching a unanimous verdict. The jurors will discuss the evidence of the case in private and will have the option of asking Merchan if clarification is needed on any of the legal matters.

Deliberation will continue until a unanimous decision is made on whether Trump is guilty of a crime. If a decision cannot be reached, it may result in a hung jury, and the case could potentially be re-tried starting the process all over again.

Verdict: Once a unanimous decision has been made, the jurors will notify the court that they have reached a verdict. Merchan will call upon both parties and after the verdict is read aloud by the jury leader, Merchan will confirm the verdict and issue a final judgment.

The prosecution and defense will then have the option to overturn the jury’s decision.

Sentencing: If Trump is found guilty, Merchan will sentence him, but that is likely to occur later, which could be weeks or even months away.