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Former President Donald Trump started the second day of the hush money trial in New York City railing in opposition to the case and its “conflicted” judge, whom the forty fifth president referred to as a “Trump-hating judge.”
“We have a Trump-hating judge. We have a judge who shouldn’t be on this case. He’s totally conflicted. But this is a trial that should never happen. It should have been thrown out a long time ago,” Trump stated Tuesday earlier than heading into the courtroom, referring to Judge Juan Merchan.
“It’s a trial that is being looked upon and looked at all over the world. … They’re looking at, analyzing it. Every legal pundit, every legal scholar said this trial is a disgrace,” he added.
Trump arrived at court docket in Lower Manhattan for day two of a trial that’s anticipated to final at least six weeks as he battles 34 costs of falsifying enterprise data. Jury choice will proceed Tuesday, a process that’s anticipated to final at least per week.
LIVE UPDATES: TRUMP HUSH MONEY TRIAL ENTERS DAY TWO AS JURY SELECTION CONTINUES
Former President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower for Manhattan Criminal Court Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New York. Trump is ready to return to court docket as a judge works to discover a panel of jurors who’ll resolve whether or not the previous president is responsible of prison costs alleging he falsified enterprise data to cowl up a intercourse scandal in the course of the 2016 marketing campaign. (AP Photo/Noah Okay. Murray)
Ninety-six potential jurors filed into the courtroom Monday, the place they have been requested a sequence of questions to find out if they will function neutral jurors. More than 50 out of the pool of 96 have been dismissed for admitting they may not serve pretty on the panel, whereas a handful of others have been dismissed as a consequence of different points.
The court docket is anticipated to vet a pool of roughly 500 jurors earlier than deciding on 12 New Yorkers and a handful of alternates from the group.
Former President Donald Trump awaits the beginning of proceedings on the second day of jury choice at Manhattan prison court docket, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New York. Donald Trump returned to the courtroom Tuesday as a judge works to discover a panel of jurors who will resolve whether or not the previous president is responsible of prison costs alleging he falsified enterprise data to cowl up a intercourse scandal in the course of the 2016 marketing campaign. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)
JUDGE PRESIDING OVER TRUMP HUSH MONEY CASE DECLINES TO RECUSE HIMSELF
The trial’s origins stretch again to the 2016 election cycle, when former Trump legal professional Michael Cohen paid former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly silence her claims she had an extramarital affair with Trump again in 2006.
Manhattan district legal professional Alvin Bragg arrives at Manhattan prison court docket, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New York. Donald Trump returns to a New York courtroom Tuesday as a judge works to discover a panel of jurors who will resolve whether or not the previous president is responsible of prison costs alleging he falsified enterprise data to cowl up a intercourse scandal in the course of the 2016 marketing campaign. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels and likewise pleaded not responsible to the costs.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg introduced forth the indictment final yr. Prosecutors say the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen for the cost to Daniels and falsely recorded the funds as authorized bills. Prosecutors are working to show that Trump falsified the data with an intent to commit or conceal a second crime, which is a felony.
TRUMP CALLS HUSH MONEY TRIAL ‘ASSAULT ON AMERICA’ AS CASE OFFICIALLY KICKS OFF
Former President Donald Trump, second from left, arrives at Manhattan prison court docket on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 in New York. Donald Trump returned to a New York courtroom Tuesday as a judge works to discover a panel of jurors who will resolve whether or not the previous president is responsible of prison costs alleging he falsified enterprise data to cowl up a intercourse scandal in the course of the 2016 marketing campaign. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
“I was paying a lawyer and marked it down as a legal expense account. I didn’t know. Marked it down as a legal expense. That’s exactly what it was. And you get indicted over that?,” Trump stated on Tuesday.
Trump has railed in opposition to presiding Judge Merchan for months, together with on Truth Social, the place he has described him as “suffering from an acute case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Trump’s authorized group had additionally demanded Merchan’s recusal from the case, citing that Merchan’s daughter works as a Democratic marketing consultant. The judge denied the movement on Monday.
Judge Juan Merchan poses for an image in his chambers, Thursday, March 14, 2024, in New York. A dozen Manhattan residents are quickly to grow to be the primary Americans ever to sit down in judgment of a former president charged with a criminal offense. Jury choice is ready to begin Monday in former President Donald Trump’s hush-money trial. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (AP Photos)
“There is no agenda right here,” Merchan stated Monday forward of rejecting the recusal request.
“We want to follow the law,” he added. “We want justice to be done.”
Former President Donald Trump awaits the beginning of proceedings on the second day of jury choice at Manhattan prison court docket, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New York. Donald Trump returned to the courtroom Tuesday as a judge works to discover a panel of jurors who will resolve whether or not the previous president is responsible of prison costs alleging he falsified enterprise data to cowl up a intercourse scandal in the course of the 2016 marketing campaign. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)
Trump’s authorized group had additionally referred to as on Merchan final yr to recuse himself, pointing to his daughter’s work and former small donations Merchan made to Democrat causes for the 2020 election. The judge additionally denied that request for recusal, citing {that a} judicial ethics advisory committee had decided his daughter’s pursuits wouldn’t influence his capacity to pretty oversee the case.
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The trial is predicted to final for about six weeks. The court docket won’t meet on Wednesdays, nor on Monday, April 29.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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