When Donald Trump takes his seat at the defense table in the elegant Manhattan courtroom in the coming weeks, he won’t be alone. Alongside him will be a cast of characters straight out of a Hollywood script. The stage is set for the opening statements of the inaugural criminal trial of a former US president, scheduled for Monday.
A lineup of intriguing potential witnesses awaits their turn to testify, including an adult film actress, a fixer-turned-star-witness, a loyal money-man convicted of tax fraud, a tabloid newspaper publisher, and more.
Leading Trump’s defense team is a white-collar defense lawyer who has staked his career on defending the former president. Across the aisle, Manhattan’s first black district attorney has assembled a formidable team of prosecutors well-versed in Trump and his organization.
Overseeing the entire proceedings is a seasoned New York Supreme Court judge who is intimately familiar with Trump’s courtroom history and tactics.
At the heart of the trial are 34 charges accusing Trump of falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair. Trump maintains his innocence, denying any affair took place. Here are the key players in this historic case:
Justice Juan Merchan, the esteemed New York jurist, has crossed paths with Trump before in a Manhattan courtroom. He presided over the Trump Organization’s tax fraud case, resulting in significant penalties and jail time for the company’s CFO, Alan Weisselberg. This familiarity with Trump’s circle and legal maneuvers positions Justice Merchan to handle the case with firm resolve. Despite his soft-spoken demeanor, he’s known for his no-nonsense approach. Already, he’s intervened during jury selection, signaling his intolerance for delay tactics.
Trump, on the other hand, has taken to social media to criticize Justice Merchan, claiming bias and even attacking the judge’s family. However, such remarks have led to restrictions on Trump’s ability to discuss the judge’s personal life.
1 / 2