Judge gave 12 jurors weighing Trump’s fate these instructions

A jury of seven men and five women began deliberating thefirst-ever criminal case of an American president shortly before 11:30am on Wednesday.

Jurors must determine that Manhattan prosecutors have proved, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Donald Trump falsified business records with the intent to commit or conceal a conspiracy to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election.

Before their deliberations began, New York Justice Juan Merchan spent an hour instructing the jury on the laws governing the charges against the former president. Those instructions, largely adapted from dry statutory language, provide jurors with a crucial roadmap for understanding the evidence and determining Mr Trump’s guilt.

He explained the definitions of key terms and phrases like “intent” and “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” and walked jurors through each of the 34 counts against the former president, including how each of those counts relate to documents shown in evidence to jurors.

The judge reminded jurors that they alone are responsible for weighing the evidence and testimony, and that their verdict must not be based on speculation, prejudice, sympathy, or an attempt to quickly avoid an “unpleasant duty” after six weeks of sitting in the courthouse.

The former president is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up reimbursement payments to his attorney Michael Cohen, who testified that his former boss directed him to make a $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels to stop her from speaking publicly about having sex with Mr Trump.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Under New York law, a misdemeanor charge of falsifying business records is stepped up to a felony if tied to another crime.

To find him guilty, jurors