How did the jury find Donald Trump guilty? Details on all 22 court days of historic trial.
From selection of jurors to start of jury deliberation, the trial of former President Donald Trump – who was found guilty on all counts Thursday – consumed 22 days over six weeks during which 22 witnesses were called and more than six hours of testimony heard.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying New York business records to conceal damaging information and unlawful activity before and after the 2016 presidential election, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Read more: Will Trump go to prison?
Highlights of the trial included testimony by a porn actress, a gag order on Trump imposed by Judge Juan Merchan, clashes between the judge, defense attorneys and prosecutors, and reports of Trump dozing off in the courtroom.
The jury has declared Trump guilty on all charges. Here is a brief recap of what happened during the trial.
Indictment issued
March 30, 2023
The grand jury in Manhattan issues a sealed indictment against Trump.
April 4
The 34-felony count is unsealed in Manhattan. Trump pleads not guilty.
Feb. 15, 2024
Judge Juan Merchan, presiding judge in the New York trial, denies Trump's motion to dismiss the case.
What is Trump charged with?
The New York trial is often called the hush-money case, in reference to Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paying $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged affair between her and Trump in 2006.
Trump is not on trial for paying the hush money and has argued that nondisclosure agreements are common in business. He is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records as “legal expenses” to hide his reimbursements to Cohen over the course of a year.
Paying hush money to someone – the equivalent of a non-disclosure agreement – is not illegal in New York and other states, unless the payments are connected to crimes of bribery or blackmail.
Prosecutors argued the charges against Trump were elevated to felonies based on another crime, such as the payment influencing the 2016 presidential election, because Daniels’ claim could have affected the outcome of the election.
Jury selection
Day 1: Monday, April 15
Selection begins for 12 jurors and six alternates. None are chosen.
Day 2: Tuesday, April 16
Jury selection continues. Seven are chosen.
Day 3: Thursday, April 18
Jury selection continues. Two jurors who were chosen on April 16 are dismissed.
Seven new jurors are selected for a total of 12 – seven men and five women. One alternate juror is chosen.
Day 4: Friday, April 19
The remaining alternate jurors, five women and one man, are chosen.
Trial begins
Day 5: Monday, April 22
The trial begins with opening statements from prosecution and defense attorneys.
Day 6: Tuesday, April 23
Pecker retakes the stand to testify how the National Enquirer helped promote Trump's campaign.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys argue over whether Trump should be held in contempt of court for allegedly violating a gag order.
Day 7: Thursday, April 25
Pecker testifies that the editor-in-chief of the National Enquirer believed Daniels' allegation of an affair with Trump.
Day 8: Friday, April 26
Day 9: Tuesday, April 30
Judge Merchan fines Trump $9,000 and holds him in criminal contempt for violating a gag order.
Day 10: Thursday, May 2
Davidson testifies he believes he prepared Daniels' denial in early 2018 of an affair with Trump in a Wall Street Journal story. He says the denial was technically accurate because it referred to a sexual or romantic "relationship" rather than merely an encounter.
Day 11: Friday, May 3
Hicks also says that Trump was "concerned" about how his wife Melania would react to the Nov. 4, 2016, Wall Street Journal story on the Karen McDougal hush money deal.
Day 12: Monday, May 6
Jeffrey McConney, former Trump Organization financial controller, testifies about his role in arranging for Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney, to be reimbursed for a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels.
Day 13: Tuesday, May 7
Day 14: Thursday, May 9
Daniels takes the stand for a second day and is cross-examined by Nechles on how she profited from her story alleging an affair with Trump.
Day 15: Friday, May 10
Judge Merchan tells prosecutors to ask Michael Cohen to stop commenting publicly on Trump or the trial.
Trump, while leaving the courtroom, says a lack of a gag order on Cohen is a "disgrace."
Day 16: Monday, May 13
Day 17: Tuesday, May 14
Defense attorneys question Cohen, who says payment was made to Daniels "to ensure that the story would not come out, would not affect Mr. Trump's chances of becoming president of the United States."
Day 18: Thursday, May 16
In fiery exchanges, defense lawyers continue their cross-examination of Cohen, seeking to undermine his credibility.
Day 19: Monday, May 20
The prosecution rests its case against Trump.
Defense witness Robert Costello, a former federal prosecutor and one-time adviser to Cohen, is chastised by Judge Merchan after making a comment about the judge sustaining several prosecution objections to his testimony.
Day 20: Tuesday, May 21
Defense attorneys rest their case. Trump is not called as a witness.
Day 21: Tuesday, May 28
Prosecutors and defense attorneys make final arguments.
Day 22: Wednesday, May 29
Judge Merchan delivers instructions on the law to jury, telling them what they may consider during deliberations. The jury begins deliberating in private.
Thursday, May 30
The jury finds Trump guilty on all counts, making him the first former president to be convicted of a crime.
Contributing: Aysha Bagchi, Bart Jansen, Josh Meyer, Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY
Source: USA TODAY Network reporting and research