'So effective': Expert says one hush money trial tactic elevated Cohen's credibility
Prosecutors in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial earned praise Monday night for a courtroom tactic one legal expert said effectively elevated the credibility of the former president's onetime fixer Michael Cohen.
Cohen's credibility has been the frequent target of Trump's attacks, the most recent of which saw the former president delivering Monday a furious courthouse rant proclaiming his innocence.
But, according to MSNBC legal analyst Katie Phang, prosecutors deftly handled credibility concerns.
"You saw a well-executed plan from the Manhattan D.A.'s office to allow the introduction of certain cell phone records, text messages, emails, bank statements," Phang said.
"The visual aid of having that exhibit displayed on the screen in addition to when the audio tape was played of the famous 'I secretly recorded Donald Trump' thing accompanied by the transcript, it is so effective because jurors just sit and sit, as we do, and then they see something and they feel the engagement."
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Phang argued that interweaving corroborating evidence both supported Cohen's testimony and engaged the jury.
"It all was the corroborating evidence that allowed Michael Cohen to stand on his own," Phang said. As proof of the tactic's success, Phang noted, "We heard very few objections today."
"That was interesting in the transcript," said co-panelist Rachel Maddow.
"No sidebars for incredibly aggressive defense we have seen, no objections," Phang continued. "So what was the import of that? It was a free-flowing, well-paced, clean, succinct, direct examination today. Michael Cohen was afforded the opportunity to drive the narrative forward the way that the D.A.'s office wanted him to do, and the jury was taking notes intensely. There were at least three of them that were feverishly taking notes and looking."
"So when they go to the jury room to deliberate, People's 35 is something they're going to tangibly have, and they will look at the handwriting," she added. "More importantly, they will see it matches with the central consultants, it matches with the 135, it matches the wire to Keith Davidson, it matches the gross-up — everything fits. And then today, they left to recess today and the last thing they heard was Donald Trump participating in the conspiracy."
Watch the video below or at the link here.
Katie Phang explains why Michael Cohen testimony was effective www.youtube.com