Court Appearances: Andrew Rice

The Moment Trump Was Convicted Suddenly, the whole atmosphere changed.

- Andrew Rice

Trump as he hears his 34-count guilty verdict.

WHEN PEOPLE ASK me what it was like inside the courthouse where Donald Trump stood trial, I say it reminded me of covering a political convention. It was a programmed event with tentpole speakers like the star witness, Michael Cohen. There was a nominee, chosen by indictment, who swept in each day with a swarm of loyal surrogates. There was the press pack, wearing credentials on their lanyards, all writing down the same words and breathing the same stale air. After final arguments, though, the atmosphere shifted. As the case went to the jury, it felt more like Election Day, when there's nothing left to do but wait. The reporters hung around the 15th floor of the Manhattan criminal-court building, trading theories and gossip, trying out takes.

The jury of 12 New Yorkers - seven men, five women-seemed to be in no hurry. At the end of their first day of deliberations, May 29, they passed a couple notes to Judge Juan Merchan, asking for a readback of some testimony and, more significantly, his jury instructions. The next morning, Thursday, they all filed into the courtroom and Merchan once again gave an explanation of the law. You couldn't blame the jurors for wanting to hear it a second time.