Any fair jury would vote to acquit former President Donald Trump of all charges in his New York City legal expenses case because the prosecution has not presented the evidence to show that he did anything wrong, Will Scharf, one of his attorneys, told Newsmax on Wednesday.
"We think closing arguments went very well for us," Scharf said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "I think what we saw from Todd Blanche, President Trump's lead trial counsel, was a systematic, dismantling of the prosecution's case. He gave jurors eight, independent reasons why they could not vote to convict here, why they should vote not guilty, and I think he was very, very persuasive."
The jury is expected to begin its deliberations Wednesday following instructions from Judge Juan Merchan. Closing arguments wrapped up Tuesday night.
"What we saw from the prosecution was this wide-ranging 2016 election conspiracy," Scharf argued Wednesday. "There are still gaping holes in the prosecution's case that they can't fill because there's simply no evidence that President Trump did anything wrong here or broke any laws here."
Scharf would not speculate on how quickly the jury will reach a decision, but he said he thinks the case is "very simple" and that Trump "didn't really have anything to do with the creation of the business records that are at the center of this case."
He also noted that the prosecution in the case didn't outline the charges against Trump as being violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act, accusing him of suppressing negative stories about himself before the election.
"[With] most criminal cases you start with the charges and proceed from there," said Scharf. "It's a bit of a shell game in a way that they hide what they were actually trying to prove for so long. It's worth noting that we were ready to call a former FEC commissioner, probably the country's greatest expert on federal election law. The judge wasn't willing to let him testify … that's an issue that if worst comes to worst, we'd obviously take up on appeal."
Meanwhile, Scharf refused to speculate about a CBS News report indicating that the Secret Service has spoken with New York jail officials concerning the possibility that Trump could be sentenced to time behind bars if he's found guilty.
Trump, as a former president, is entitled to Secret Service protection for the rest of his life, even in jail.
Scharf also called it a "little hysterical" for Merchan to reprimand Blanche, when he told the jury possible sanctions, including jail, that Trump could face if he is convicted.
"I think the jury, the judge, all the parties understand the stakes here," said Scharf. "Again, we all know what's at stake here. This is the Biden administration and its political allies attempting to lock up President Biden's principal political rival, who is crushing him in every poll, and that's President Donald J. Trump. I think this is banana republic stuff."
He also said he believes the prosecution was trying to "run out the clock" by suggesting that the jury wait until Wednesday for closing arguments to wrap up.
"The jury really put paid to that," Scharf said. "It was a very, very late night but I'm glad that it went the way that it did. And I too think that's a favorable sign for our side."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.