According to a former attorney for Donald Trump, if the ex-president were to testify in his Manhattan criminal trial, it would greatly enhance the likelihood of a conviction.
The hush money trial of former President Trump began on Monday after a week of jury selection. Trump is facing accusations of falsifying business records in order to hide payments that were meant to cover up extramarital affairs prior to the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts.
In a recent interview on CNN’s “The Source,” Tim Parlatore, a former attorney for Trump, was questioned by host Kaitlan Collins about the possibility of Trump testifying. Despite Trump’s claims that he is willing to testify, legal experts and Trump observers remain skeptical.
Collins asked if Trump will eventually testify here and wanted to know the speaker’s opinion on the matter.
Parlatore disagreed and expressed his opinion, saying, “I don’t believe he should.” However, he acknowledged that ultimately it would be the defendant’s decision. Parlatore emphasized that this decision would be critical and would depend on the progress of the trial and whether the potential benefits outweighed the risks involved in testifying.
Collins then inquired about the potential impact of Trump testifying on the likelihood of a conviction.
According to the expert, he confidently stated that the chances of conviction would greatly rise if the jury were to distrust the accused, even on a minor point. Any shred of doubt would be used against him, making it more probable for him to be found guilty.