Trump trial schedule: Proceedings break on Wednesday, but here is where we left testimony
Former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial is on break on Wednesdays, but testimony is scheduled to start back up on Thursday at 10 a.m. local time.
Jurors usually are due to the courtroom by 9:30 a.m., but the first 30 minutes of Thursday’s proceedings are scheduled for a hearing over additional accusations of gag order violations (Trump was already found in criminal contempt for nine violations and threatened with jail time if it continues).
Former US president Donald Trump walks out to speak to the press during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on April 30, 2024. Judge Juan Merchan, presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money trial, fined the former president on Tuesday for defying a gag order and warned that further violations could result in jail time.
Judge Juan Merchan also ruled Tuesday that court will break on May 17 so Trump can attend Barron Trump’s high school graduation, and May 24 will be off due to a juror scheduling conflict.
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Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to disguise the hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, which allegedly constituted an illegal campaign contribution. Here is where the trial sits at the midpoint of week three:
Trump trial Tuesday recap: Witness alleges Michael Cohen was late on hush money payment
Trump trial schedule
The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks, according to a media advisory.
Proceedings typically start at 9:30 a.m. local time and run through the business day. Court breaks on Wednesdays.
Trial is not televised, but you can read transcripts
New York Courts is publishing the trial transcripts and copies of evidence shown to the jury.
Transcripts of proceedings aren’t always available, but officials decided to make them available because of “unparalleled public interest.”
Many of the already existing transcripts are available now on the New York State Unified Court System’s media website. Evidence shown to the jury, including texts, emails and photos, also are available from last week’s proceedings.
Tuesday testimony gets into nitty gritty of hush money payment
On Tuesday, lawyers wrapped up testimony from banker Gary Farro, who oversaw Michael Cohen’s accounts when he issued the hush money payment to Daniels. During cross examination, Farro confirmed that nothing about the way Cohen set up an account, which prosecutors say was a shell company account, raised a red flag.
Two witnesses made brief appearances that introduced videos and a deposition of Trump: Robert Browning, an executive director of C-SPAN, and Phillip Thompson of Esquire Deposition Solutions.
The day ended with testimony from Keith Davidson, who represented porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in 2016. He testified about his efforts to get McDougal’s story of an affair with Donald Trump into the hands of the National Enquirer during the 2016 presidential campaign. He also described how Daniels’ payment from Cohen came late, making Davidson believe she would go public with her story.
Davidson is the sixth witness called to the stand, and will continue his testimony Thursday morning.
Contributing: Aysha Bagchi
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump trial schedule: Proceedings break on Wednesday, but here is where we left testimony