The second week of testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money case concluded on Friday with yet another ho-hum day for the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The prosecution is gearing up for crucial testimony from Michael Cohen, the former attorney of Trump, who facilitated the $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels allegedly in exchange for her silence.
Earlier today, jury consultant Carolyn Koch offered a candid assessment of the hurdles facing Bragg in the high-profile trial of former President Trump. The heart of the prosecution’s case hinges on testimony and recordings from Cohen, specifically a tape discussing a potential deal to purchase a story about Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed she had an affair with Trump.
Koch was doubtful about the impact of the audio recording on a jury, noting the tape’s incomplete nature and Cohen’s questionable reliability. “Audio is good, and audio is like a document, but jurors are going to respond to the case like a mosaic,” Koch explained. She likened the evidence to an unfinished conversation in a Jenga tower—valuable yet precarious without full context.
Jurors typically look for credible and complete evidence to piece together a narrative. Koch pointed to the