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The Courtroom Fell Silent: An Inside Look at Donald Trump's Unprecedented Guilty Verdict
Tension hung heavy in the air as the courtroom awaited the jury's verdict on the unprecedented case against former President Donald Trump. Before the historic moment unfolded, Trump appeared remarkably composed, smiling and laughing with his attorney, Todd Blanche, as they waited for Judge Juan Merchan to announce the jury's imminent departure for the day.
With Trump and the prosecution teams assembled, Merchan returned to the bench at 4:13 p.m. ET, informing the parties that he planned to dismiss the jury in approximately 15 minutes. The judge exited the courtroom, leaving Trump, his legal team, and the prosecutors to await the day's end.
However, everything changed when Merchan reentered the courtroom at 4:36 p.m. with a stunning revelation: The jury had reached a verdict.
The jury requested 30 minutes to complete the necessary forms, leaving Trump and the attorneys sitting in tense silence, occasionally exchanging hushed conversations. When the judge returned to the bench, he sternly warned against "reactions" or "outbursts of any kind" before the jury's entrance.
The six alternates filed in, taking their seats in the first row of the gallery behind the prosecutors. The 12 jurors assumed their positions in the jury box. A clerk then prompted the jury foreman to deliver the verdict on each of the 34 counts. The foreman's response echoed through the courtroom, "Guilty," 34 times.
The attorneys remained silent and serious as the verdict was read, the only sound piercing the stillness being the feverish typing from the press gallery and the few members of the public present as the foreman sealed Trump's fate.
Initially, reporters could not discern Trump's facial reaction as the first guilty verdict was delivered – the courthouse had the video screen turned off while the foreman read most of the verdict, a standard practice when jurors are in motion.
It was only toward the end of the verdict reading that the video feed of the defendant's table was restored, allowing reporters behind Trump and those in the overflow room to witness the former president's response.
Trump sat stone-faced, a frown etched across his features, visibly unmoving as the jury delivered their verdict. As the jurors were polled one by one to confirm their decision, Trump craned his neck to the right, peering at the jurors intently.
The jurors maintained serious expressions as they were polled, each answering "yes" or "yes it is" to affirm their verdict. They exited the courtroom, none appearing to make eye contact with Trump on their way out.
Trump's face reddened, his frown deepening as he rose to leave the courtroom. He exchanged an emotional handshake with his son Eric, who patted his father's back as they departed, trailing behind Trump's entourage of advisors and lawyers. Steve Witkoff was the only apparent supporting guest, aside from Trump's son, in attendance when the verdict was read.
In those solemn moments, the courtroom fell silent, bearing witness to an unprecedented chapter in American history as the jury unanimously found the former president guilty on all 34 felony counts.