In a setback for Donald Trump’s legal defense, the judge presiding over his initial criminal trial cautions his legal team to proceed cautiously.
Donald Trump suffered another setback in his hush-money trial, courtesy of his incompetent legal representatives.
On Tuesday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan rejected several of Trump’s attempts to derail the case and reiterated his warning to Trump’s legal team, emphasizing the necessity of seeking permission for future filings. Merchan sternly reminded Trump’s lawyers of his authority to penalize any party for defying lawful court mandates.
“This Court advises counsel that it expects and welcomes zealous advocacy and creative lawyering,” Merchan stated in a court directive. “However, the Court also expects those advocates to demonstrate the proper respect and decorum that is owed to the courts and its judicial officers and to never forget that they are officers of the court. As such, counsel is expected to follow this Court’s orders.”
Merchan further underscored the court’s authority to impose penalties for criminal contempt in his order, writing: “A court of record has power to punish for a criminal contempt.”
The underlying motivation behind these actions is evident from the judge’s perspective.
“[Trump], either directly or through counsel, has repeatedly stated publicly that the defense goal is to delay these proceedings, if possible, past the 2024 presidential election,” Merchan noted in a footnote appended to the court directive.
On Monday, Merchan decreed that jury selection would commence on April 15. This marks the formal initiation of the first criminal trial for the former president, as proceedings for his other three criminal trials remain suspended due to appeals and stall tactics employed by Trump’s legal team.
Trump stands accused of employing his former confidant Michael Cohen to conceal an extramarital affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. He faces 34 felony charges in this case, alleging the falsification of business records with the intent to facilitate an underlying offense. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
