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Melissa Gomez, PhD Discusses Closing Arguments in Donald Trump's Historic Criminal Trial on CNN

05.29.24

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May 29, 2024

IMS Senior Jury Consulting Advisor Dr. Melissa Gomez engaged with CNN to provide her expert analysis on the closing arguments in the historic criminal trial involving former President Donald Trump.

Dr. Gomez appeared on CNN's News Central segment with anchors Kate Bolduan and Boris Sanchez alongside former US Attorney Michael J. Moore and CNN Senior Political Analyst and Senior Editor at The Atlantic Ron Brownstein on May 27. During the interview, Dr. Gomez highlighted the contrasting approaches and goals of both the prosecution and defense. She explained that the defense will seek to convince at least one juror that the prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. While the prosecution will strive to tie all the evidence together, cohesively.

Dr. Gomez also touched on the possibility of a mistrial and the significance of jury instructions, stating that clear and precise instructions are vital to guide jurors through deliberations in such high-stakes cases, especially when disagreements arise among jurors.

Click here to watch the full interview.

On May 28, Melissa rejoined Wolf Blitzer on CNN where she elaborated on several key aspects of the hush money trial and its potential outcomes, including summation, jury deliberations, the importance of closing arguments, and the strategy of both the prosecution and defense. Dr. Gomez also remarked on the subject of witness credibility and how evidence often lies in the eye of the beholder.

For more insights, watch the live conversation here.