Judge Allows The Unthinkable To Happen To Trump
What is this judge thinking?
In a recent development, the New York judge granted Manhattan prosecutors the authority to delve into various civil lawsuits involving former President Trump if he opts to testify in his ongoing criminal trial. Judge Juan Merchan’s ruling, following arguments presented on Friday, allows prosecutors to probe Trump about six out of the 13 past court decisions they sought to utilize to challenge his credibility before jurors.
Among the approved inquiries, Merchan permitted questioning regarding two pivotal rulings concerning Trump’s denial of sexual assault allegations made by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. Additionally, prosecutors can explore the verdict from Trump’s civil fraud trial, where he was found to have manipulated property values deceptively, along with instances where he breached a gag order and was implicated in fraudulent practices related to his foundation.
However, Merchan disallowed discussions on sanctions imposed against Trump in a lawsuit he filed against Hillary Clinton, along with several other “bad acts” prosecutors wished to address. The judge’s decision aims to provide Trump’s legal team with crucial insights as they deliberate on whether the former president should testify.
Trump has expressed willingness to take the stand, although it remains an uncommon move for a criminal defendant. Notably, Trump’s decision to testify—or not—will not be held against him by the jurors. During the arguments, Trump’s attorney, Emil Bove, argued against raising the Carroll case, citing its potentially “salacious” nature and urging the judge to exclude it from discussions.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo countered that Trump’s denials of Carroll’s assault claims were deemed false and malicious, emphasizing the relevance of such incidents in undermining Trump’s credibility. Likewise, prosecutors intend to highlight findings from Trump’s civil fraud case, where he was accused of repeatedly falsifying business records and issuing false financial statements.
Trump currently faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in his New York criminal case, centered around a hush money agreement with an adult film actress prior to the 2016 election, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
