Next week, a ruling is expected from the judge handling Donald Trump’s hush-money case. The former president is seeking recusal, citing the “long-standing” professional ties and “beneficial working relationship” between the judge’s daughter and Vice President Kamala Harris (D).
Acting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has recently provided an update regarding the legal battle between former President Donald Trump’s lawyers and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. As per the update, Justice Merchan has informed both parties that he will announce his decision during the week of August 11th. He has also stated that an additional response from the defense on the matter will not be required or beneficial at this stage of the proceedings.
Merchan wrote a letter to counsel.
Merchan also recognized that Trump has filed a motion to overturn the 34 falsification of business records guilty verdicts. This motion was submitted after the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision on immunity in Trump v. United States.
The sentencing date of Sept. 18, which was postponed after the Trump immunity-related motion, still stands, as emphasized by the judge in his letter. However, there has been a change in the date for ruling on the defense’s effort to overturn the verdict. The date has been rescheduled from Sept. 6 to Sept. 16, just two days ahead of the sentencing date.
The court appearance on September 18, 2024, at 10 A.M. will remain unchanged, according to the statement. The proceedings will continue on the specified date and time for the imposition of sentence or other relevant procedures. The statement also reminded the concerned parties to keep the dates in mind if they plan to submit a pre-sentence recommendation.
Next week’s ruling to watch out for concerns recusal in particular.
In May of 2023, an ethics panel determined that Judge Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan’s “business and/or political activities” did not raise any questions about his impartiality. The panel found that he was not obligated to disclose this information. However, Judge Merchan himself issued a ruling in August of 2023, stating that he firmly believed he could remain fair and impartial in the case and that recusal was not in the public’s best interest.
In April, when Trump disclosed the judge’s daughter’s name and photo in a post, Merchan took action by broadening a pre-existing order. The defendant was then instructed to abstain from creating or instructing others to create public statements regarding the family members of any counsel, staff member, the Court, or the District Attorney. This applied especially if the intention behind those statements was to significantly impede or encourage others to interfere with their work.
The gag order pertaining to that particular aspect remains in effect even now.
Law&Crime has reported that despite attempts by former President Donald Trump to go after the daughter of the judge involved in the hush-money case, a lawsuit seeking to lift the remaining parts of the gag order has failed. The threats directed towards the staff of the District Attorney’s office were taken into account during the proceedings.
Despite this, the defense has persisted in their efforts to recuse the judge based on the fact that Authentic Campaigns President Loren Merchan provided political consulting services to Harris.
In July, Trump’s lawyers stated that Harris’ replacement of President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee made Merchan’s “long-standing and extremely beneficial working relationship” with her even more significant in light of the changed circumstances.
According to the defense motion, Harris has a long-standing relationship with Your Honor’s daughter, which includes working together on political campaigns. The motion further states that Your Honor’s daughter has gained and is expected to gain significant financial, professional, and personal benefits from this relationship.
According to Trump’s attorneys, Your Honor’s daughter openly criticized President Trump’s use of Twitter, which is a crucial matter in the ongoing Presidential immunity motion. They also stated that she had a conversation with Your Honor regarding this issue, which suggests a preconceived notion towards President Trump’s official-acts arguments.
At the forefront of Authentic Campaigns’ client list is Kamala Harris for President, as stated on their website.
On the website, Loren Merchan is recognized for her expertise in managing paid media campaigns for well-known organizations such as UltraViolet, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Voto Latino. She has also worked with distinguished political figures including Senators Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders as well as Representative Beto O’Rourke. Her exceptional strategy and execution in reaching underrepresented communities have earned her multiple awards.
According to DA Bragg, Trump’s attempt for a third recusal is baseless and lacks merit. He believes that using exaggerated language and unfounded accusations is not enough to prove that the judge is incapable of being unbiased and just.
The complaint alleges that a man who threatened to set Kamala Harris on fire was surprised when federal agents showed up at his doorstep “over a comment.” This is according to additional coverage by Law & Crime.
The District Attorney’s office stated that the defendant has not presented any new information or legal developments that justify a change in the verdict. The defendant’s motion seems to be based on the fact that Vice President Harris is now a presidential candidate, rather than a vice president. However, the defendant had already argued in earlier motions that the Vice President was his political rival and that the judge’s family member would benefit from the verdict in this case.