Judge’s Call: Judge Bars Trump from Supreme Court Immunity Hearing

Judge’s Call Judge Bars Trump from Supreme Court Immunity Hearing

The judge in New York presiding over the hush money prosecution of the former president declared on Monday that Trump will not be able to hear the Supreme Court’s arguments on presidential immunity the following week.

It happened after the judge had already postponed the decision on whether to permit Trump to attend the May high school graduation of his son Barron.

As the first day of the Manhattan trial was officially started, Trump made attempts to omit particular days from his hush money trial, which is anticipated to run weeks or perhaps months.

Just before the New York trial ended on Monday, it was decided that Trump would not be permitted to travel to Washington, D.C. on April 25, when the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear oral arguments on a presidential immunity claim Trump is making in his federal criminal case.

Judge Juan Merchan denied Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche’s request to allow his client to take time off from court, saying, “Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal, and I can certainly appreciate why your client would want to be there, but a trial in New York Supreme Court… is also a big deal.”

“I will see him here next week,” the judge continued.

Unless the judge grants him special permission to skip part of the trial, Trump is obligated by New York state law to attend the whole proceeding.

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Following the day’s adjournment of court, Trump implied that Merchan thought he was “superior” to the Supreme Court because the latter had prevented him from attending the court’s oral arguments.

In addition, the former president charged Merchan with keeping him from going to his son Barron’s May high school graduation. While the judge did not explicitly rule against allowing the former president to attend the event, she did not make a decision on the topic earlier on Monday.

“I was looking forward to that graduation with his mother and father there,” Trump stated. “It looks like the judge isn’t going to allow me to escape this scam. It’s a scam trial.”

Trump also criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) for attending the trial all day in remarks he made outside the courtroom, implying that individuals are being “mugged and killed all day long” outside the courthouse.

After a midday lunch break, the first day of Trump’s first criminal trial focused mostly on unresolved legal issues before moving on to jury selection.

In relation to a hush money payment his former fixer, Michael Cohen, made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election in order to conceal an alleged affair, Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying company documents. He has denied the affair and entered a not guilty plea.

The jury selection process may take many days or even weeks, and it is anticipated to begin again on Tuesday.

Reference

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