Trump trial: Judge rebukes Michael Cohen ahead of expected testimony Monday
Former President Trump was in court on Day 15 of his criminal trial in New York.
Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.
Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
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Witness reviews Trump tweets about Michael Cohen
Custodial witness Georgia Longstreet read into evidence a series of 2018 tweets by Trump.
"The New York Times and a third rate reporter named Maggie Haberman, known as a Crooked H flunkie who I don't speak to and have nothing to do with, are going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will 'flip,'" one tweet said.
"If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don't retain the services of Michael Cohen!" read another tweet.
Prospectors are introducing these posts to demonstrate what they argue is a "pressure campaign" by Trump to prevent Michael Cohen's cooperation with authorities.
Jurors also read a 2018 tweet from Trump where he denied an affair with Daniels but defended the nondisclosure arrangement between them as a "private" agreement.
Trump, marking up papers at the defense table, stopped as Longstreet read some of his tweets into the record. He stared at the tweets displayed on the monitor in front of him, then resumed writing.
Prosecutors call back paralegal from DA's office
Prosecutors have called back to the stand Georgia Longstreet, a paralegal for the Manhattan district attorney's office.
Longstreet testified last week to introduce some of Trump's social media posts into evidence.
Trump, sitting at the defense table, has been working diligently -- scribbling notes and thumbing through a stack of papers, marking some of them, and then placing them in another pile.
Judge won't admit Larry King interview as evidence
When court resumed after the mid-morning break, Judge Juan Merchan handed the defense a victory -- ruling to block the state's effort to include an excerpt of an interview Trump did with Larry King in 1999 as evidence.
"You are asking the jurors to draw an in inference that because Mr. Trump knew the laws in 1999, he knew them in 2016," Merchan said in denying the request. "That's a lot of speculation."
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg entered the courtroom with prosecutors following the break. Trump turned around to look at the gallery before he sat down, appearing to spot Bragg.
Merchan signaled that the proceedings will likely end early today, after the prosecution calls its final two witnesses of the day.
Verizon employee testifies about Weisselberg's phone records
Prosecutors next called custodial witness Jenny Tomalin, who works for Verizon, to testify about call records for former Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg's Verizon mobile phone.
Prosecutors may refer to calls between Weisselberg and Michael Cohen when Cohen testifies next week.
Jurors saw toll records from Weisselberg which appeared to stretch to hundreds of pages, showing each of the calls placed and received by Weisselberg. The records detail the length of each call in minutes, as well as the date, time, origination, destination, and the other phone number.
After Tomalin's direct examination concluded she stepped off the stand and court broke for the mid-morning recess.
Stormy Daniels arrives at courthouse
Stormy Daniels has arrived at the lower Manhattan courthouse ahead of her second day of testimony.
Proceedings are scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. ET.