Lawyer Todd Blanche believes in the American justice system, surprised at client’s calm demeanour

The jury reached its verdict on Friday (AEST) just as it appeared deliberations were going to be stretching into a third day. Just a few minutes earlier, Judge Juan Merchan had returned to the courtroom to announce that, in lieu of a decision, he’d be sending jurors home for the evening.

“I’m a trial attorney and I’ve had a lot of trials and I had a lot of verdicts. And this one was by far the most kind of surprising in the timing of it,” Blanche said. “We were all ready to go home. I think it was pretty clear that they were going to keep on working. There hadn’t been any notes. The first note was a pretty complicated one about testimony, and then asking to have the charge read back to them. So that’s a jury that’s kind of in it for the long haul.”

Blanche and Trump were having a pleasant conversation as they sat at the defence table waiting out what they thought were the last few minutes of the court day.

“We were kind of getting our minds right,” Blanche said. “Having a jury deliberate is stressful for everybody involved, but for sure for President Trump. And so we’re trying to get his mind right, that everything was proceeding like it should. And then the judge said we have a verdict.”

Asked about his handling of the case, Blanche said the defence team had done its best.

Blanche said Trump’s decision not to testify, ultimately fell to the former president.

“He definitely wanted to testify,” Blanche said. But he said they knew that prosecutors were going to be able to cross-examine Trump on areas “that are very complicated,” because they are the subject of legal appeals.

“There would have been a lot of sideshows if he were to testify that would have, I think, made it a challenge for him,” Blanche said. “He was elected president and he’s running again, and so he obviously connects with people and connects with voters, and I think certainly can connect with a jury as well. But it wasn’t quite as simple as that in reaching that decision.”

Among the things Trump could have been asked about by prosecutors were a $US455 million ($683 million) judgment pending against him in a fraud lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney-general and other judgments against him in lawsuits brought by E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual assault.

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Blanche acknowledged there was a chance Trump might be sentenced to jail time.

“On the one hand, it would be extraordinary to send a 77-year-old to prison for a case like this. A first-time offender who was also president of United States, I mean, I think almost unheard of,” Blanche said.

On the other hand, Blanche said, “this is a very highly publicised case” in which some might argue Trump deserves a harsher punishment because he faces charges elsewhere.

“So it’s going to be a very, I think, contentious sentencing where we’re going to obviously argue strenuously for a non-incarceratory sentence.”

Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11.

AP