NEW YORK: Donald Trump’s defence lawyers rested their case in the criminal hush money trial on Tuesday without calling the former US president to testify though they called two witnesses in his defence.

Justice Juan Merchan said jurors would return on next Tuesday to hear closing arguments, with deliberations likely beginning the following day.

Trump’s lawyers had asked Merchan to dismiss the case before it reaches the jury, arguing that it rests on the testimony of a witness, the estranged former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, who has a well-documented history of lying.

Such dismissal motions are rarely successful, and Merchan indicated on Monday that he was inclined to let jurors assess Cohen’s credibility for themselves. Prosecu­tors say his testimony is buttressed by other evidence.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2024