(PatriotSpotlight.org) – Speaking to Breitbart News Daily, Trump’s attorney Jesse Binnall questioned the New York Supreme Court’s impartiality. Justice Juan Merchan is overseeing the former President’s criminal case in his onetime home state of New York. Binnall criticized the fact that Judge Merchan donated to President Biden’s political campaign. This is the first criminal trial against the ex-President and frontrunner for the GOP Presidential nomination.
The case, led by Democrat Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, has slammed Trump with 34 felony charges linked to alleged falsification of business records relating to a “hush money” payment to Trump’s alleged former mistress Stormy Daniels. Binnall pointed out how the case hinges on Michael Cohen’s testimony, whom he slammed asan “admitted perjurer.” Binnall’s comments brought to the fore Judge Merchan’s left-leaning political links, with public records showing the judge spent on donations to Democrats on three separate occasions in 2020. The news has prompted calls for a formal ethics investigation into the judge.
Speaking on the question of judicial impartiality in this trial, Binnall said judges must recuse themselves from cases in which they may have biases or conflicts of interest. He slated Judge Merchan for failing to do so, particularly in light of his obvious political bias. Binnall also noted how it was “highly unusual for judges even to make political donations”. The jury selection process has already been mired in complexity, given Trump’s huge public profile and history of controversy. Two possible jurors were dismissed, one stating they had received external pressure from friends and family after they were publicly named. Another was concluded to have possibly misrepresented his personal history.
Judge Merchan has urged the press to restrain from disclosing details about jurors, stressing the importance of protecting their privacy in order to ensure an impartial trial. Prosecutors have also raised concerns about whether Trump has complied with a gag order. Others argue that the matter of Merchan’s political donations is fair game for journalists, given the need to report fully and factually on current events.
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