The 12 jurors who will decide the guilt or innocence of Donald J. Trump in the first criminal trial of an American president could be deliberating his fate next week after a few days off.
On Monday, prosecutors rested their case after their 20th and final witness, Michael D. Cohen, stepped down from the stand after a week of testimony in a Manhattan courtroom. At the end of the day, defense lawyers told the judge that they could finish early on Tuesday after the conclusion of testimony from Robert J. Costello, whom they called to the stand. That’s an indication that it is unlikely Mr. Trump will testify.
The judge, Juan M. Merchan, said that closing arguments would come next, after the long Memorial Day weekend.
Mr. Trump’s trial entered its sixth week on Monday, with signs throughout the day that the patience of some in the courtroom, including the judge, had worn thin. Near the end of the day, Justice Merchan sharply scolded Mr. Costello over his behavior on the stand.
Mr. Costello had been expected to attack the credibility of Mr. Cohen, Mr. Trump’s former fixer, but attention quickly shifted to Mr. Costello himself. That shift started after prosecutors objected to a question asked of him, and Mr. Costello protested the situation under his breath.
Justice Merchan rebuked him: “If you don’t like my ruling, you don’t say ‘jeez,’ and you don’t say ‘strike it’ because I’m the only one who can strike testimony in court.”
“Are you staring me down?” the judge demanded of him. He then cleared the courtroom of the jury, reporters and other onlookers — but not Mr. Trump’s allies.
While reporters were away, Justice Merchan called Mr. Costello “contemptuous” and threatened to remove him from the stand, according to a court transcript. “If you try to stare me down one more time, I will remove you from the stand,” the judge told him.
The 34 felony charges against Mr. Trump stem from repayments to Mr. Cohen after he made a hush-money deal with Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who said she had sex with Mr. Trump and wanted to go public with her account before the 2016 presidential election.
Prosecutors used Mr. Cohen’s testimony to bolster the charges against Mr. Trump of falsifying business records to conceal the repayments and to hide the deal. The former president’s defense team portrayed Mr. Cohen as a perpetual liar who is seeking revenge against Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has denied having sex with Ms. Daniels and all other wrongdoing.
Here’s what else to know about the trial:
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To be continued: Justice Merchan said on Monday that the trial would take longer than expected, with closing arguments now scheduled to take place next week. The trial will adjourn on Wednesday, the usual day off, but also on Friday and Monday, which is Memorial Day. Read more about the schedule here.
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Trump’s retinue: An entourage of more than a dozen joined Mr. Trump in the Manhattan courthouse on Monday, including a leader of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang in New York City who spent years in prison on drug charges. Read more about the man, Chuck Zito, here.
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Photograph in evidence: Mr. Trump’s defense team has argued that the real topic of an October 2016 phone call made by Mr. Cohen to Mr. Trump’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller, was about a prank that a teenager was playing on him. Mr. Cohen has said he spoke to Mr. Trump about the hush-money deal. On Monday, prosecutors introduced as evidence a photo showing Mr. Trump with Mr. Schiller about the same time as the call took place. Read about the call and other takeaways from Monday’s session here.
