Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, along with Judge Juan Merchan, orchestrated a jury’s guilty verdict against former President Donald Trump on unspecified charges, said a report by New York Post.
The specifics of the charges remain unclear, as jurors were instructed by Merchan that they didn’t need to agree on Trump’s wrongdoing, allowing them to individually choose from multiple theories presented by the prosecution.
The trial was marred by violations of fairness, including the exclusion of a defence expert witness, biased treatment towards the defence, and irrelevant testimony from Stormy Daniels.
Jurors may not have grasped that the only evidence of criminal intent came from Michael Cohen, a self-admitted liar with a personal grudge against Trump, and that the prosecution failed to demonstrate Trump’s falsification of business records.
Despite potential grounds for appeal, Biden’s campaign can capitalize on the guilty verdict, branding Trump as a “convicted felon” in the lead-up to the November elections.
Bragg’s pursuit of Trump was fuelled by political motives, as he campaigned on targeting the former president and collaborated with the Biden Justice Department to revive a case previously declined by his predecessor.
Merchan’s impartiality came under question, particularly due to his daughter’s association with Democratic politics and his perceived favouritism towards the prosecution.
The verdict’s effect on Trump’s electoral prospects remains uncertain, with some polls suggesting it could rally support for him by highlighting perceived Democratic manipulation of the justice system.
The politicization of the justice system, along with attacks on the legitimacy of institutions like the US Supreme Court, undermines the rule of law and erodes trust in American democracy.