The New York jury involved in the business records case against Donald Trump found him guilty on all 34 counts.
Judge Juan Merchan previously told the jurors that they did not need to reach a unanimous decision on the matter.
The jury was instructed to select from three options.
As described by radio personality Mark Levin, these options were:
- Violations of federal election law (which no one in that courtroom is familiar with, and the judge specifically prevents Brad Smith from testifying about)
- The falsification of business records
- Tax violations
The move to have jurors select their option of conviction violates the Due Process Clause, Trump Justice Department official Jeff Clark said.
“This violates every principle of the Due Process Clause and criminal process known to man. (Or of the Privileges & Immunities Clause according to Justice Thomas’s view.),” he wrote on X, listing the violations as:
“1) Merchan’s approach violates fair notice. And it’s not remotely fair notice to tell a criminal defendant — the jury can pick and choose its own crime.
2) It violates jury unanimity. Judge Merchan needs to acquaint himself with Ramos v. Louisiana from the U.S. Supreme Court. Maybe he missed it but it is four years old at this point.”
He added that the case is “already past the point of absurdity.”
Merchan reportedly told jurors, “I really admire your dedication and hard work. You worked very hard and gave this matter the attention it deserves.”
Trump said the trial was a “disgrace” and “rigged.”
This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who is corrupt. It’s a rigged trial, a disgrace. They wouldn’t give us a venue change. We were at 5 percent or 6 percent in this district or this area,” he said.
Trump declared that the “real verdict” will be on November 5th.
“They know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here,” he continued. “You have a Soros-backed DA and the whole thing, we didn’t do anything wrong. I’m a very innocent man. And It’s okay, I’m fighting for our country. I’m fighting for our Constitution.”
“Our whole country is being rigged right now. This was done by the Biden administration in order to wound or hurt an opponent, a political opponent. And I think it’s just a disgrace, and we’ll keep fighting, we’ll fight till the end because our country has gone to hell.”
“We don’t have the same country anymore. We have a divided mess, we’re a nation in decline, serious decline. Millions and millions of people pouring into our country right now from prisons and from mental institutions, terrorists, and they’re taking over our country. We have a country that’s in big trouble.”
“But this was a rigged decision right from day one with a conflicted judge who should have never been allowed to try this case. Never. And we will fight for our Constitution. This is long from over,” Trump concluded.
