The tense tick, tick, tick of jury deliberations at Trump’s first criminal trial

CNN —

The mood flips from torpor to high tension in a second on the high-security 15th floor of the grimy old Manhattan courthouse where a jury will resume deliberations on Donald Trump’s fate Thursday morning.

Seven men and five women jurors, headed by a foreperson who grew up in Ireland, were deep into a fourth hour of their historic task when they shattered the oppressive tedium of Wednesday afternoon. A buzzer demanding the judge’s attention sounded, suddenly sending lawyers, court staff, police and reporters rushing for their seats. Then Trump arrived from his holding room, tugging heavily on his lapels. The presumptive GOP nominee sported a trademark extra-long tie — but in gold rather than his “Make America Great Again” campaign trail red.

Former President Donald Trump gestures on the day the jury deliberates in the hush money trial filed against him in New York City on May 29.

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In the end, the alarm did not herald a verdict in the hush money trial that could brand the 45th president a convicted felon. It was a note from the jury asking for a read back of several long and dense pieces of testimony, from former tabloid kingpin David Pecker and the star prosecution witness, Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen. Their testimony gets right to the question of Trump’s intent in seeking to snuff out scandalous stories about his personal life, which may shed light on the payoff to adult film star Stormy Daniels facilitated by Cohen, according to prosecutors, under his boss’ orders. (Trump has denied the alleged affair with Daniels and pleaded not guilty in the case.)

As Judge Juan Merchan and lawyers combed