NEW YORK (AP) – A reluctant Donald Trump will return to a New York City courtroom Thursday as his hush money trial resumes. US Supreme Court hears arguments in Washington over whether he should. immunity from prosecution For the actions he took while president.
Jurors will hear more witness testimony from the longtime tabloid publisher as President Trump faces an impending verdict on whether he violated a gag order imposed by a judge. Become. However, he had asked to be absent from the criminal trial that day to attend a special sitting of the High Court. may be prosecuted over his efforts in losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden.
What you need to know about Trump's hush money trial:
“There's something big going on today,” President Trump said during an early morning stop in Manhattan to visit construction workers. “The judge won't let me go to court.”
His request was denied by New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Marchan, who is overseeing the trial of the case. hush money scheme This was reportedly done to prevent harmful stories about Trump from surfacing in the final stages of the 2016 campaign.
Marchan told Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche last week: “Supreme Court arguments are a big deal, and I certainly understand why my client would want to go to the Supreme Court, but the New York Supreme Court…'' The trial is also a big deal.” He stopped thinking about it.
Despite being 200 miles (320 kilometers) apart and a completely different case, Thursday's hearing was jumbled up amid major legal and political conundrums, with not only the Republican presidential nominee but also the U.S. It also affected the entire presidency.
In both cases, President Trump is trying to escape legal jeopardy in his bid for the White House again. But the outcome of the Supreme Court case will have a lasting impact on future presidents. Questions that have never been asked before “Whether a former president enjoys presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for acts allegedly committed while in office, and if so, to what extent?''
The high court's ruling may not affect the New York City case, which hinges primarily on Trump's actions as a 2016 presidential candidate, rather than as president.he He faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The aim was to curb the emergence of embarrassing stories related to hush money payments. This is the first of four criminal cases against Trump to go to a jury.
Mr. Trump has maintained his innocence of any charges against him. In New York, he claims, the story that he was bribed and suppressed was false.
The New York trial will resume after a scheduled holiday with further testimony from the court. Manhattan District Attorney's Office The first witness is David Pecker, a former publisher of the National Enquirer and a longtime friend of Trump's who vowed to be his “eyes and ears” during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Asked during a campaign rally on Thursday what he thought of Pecker's testimony, Trump said: “David was a very kind, nice man.”
Pecker told jurors earlier this week how he and the tabloids spread rumors and fabricated flashy stories to smear President Trump's opponents, and, just as importantly, told jurors about how he and the tabloids spread rumors and fabricated flashy stories to smear President Trump's opponents, and, just as importantly, how porn actors have been slandering them for years. He explained how he used his connections to suppress questionable articles about Trump, including allegations of extramarital sexual relations over the years. Before.
Mr. Pecker traces the origins of their relationship to a 1980s meeting at Mr. Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Fla., and on the real estate developer's TV show “The Apprentice” and subsequent shows. He said that their friendship blossomed with the success of the celebrity version of . .
Pecker said he promised to help suppress harmful coverage of then-candidate Trump and even arranged to buy the doorman's silence.
“I made the decision to buy this article because it could potentially embarrass the campaign and Mr. Trump,” Pecker said of the doorman's story, which the publication later determined was not true.
MerchanA judge charged Trump with contempt because prosecutors say Republican leaders violated a gag order that prohibits them from speaking publicly about witnesses, jurors or others involved in the case. may also decide whether to impose a fine.
President Trump's recent online posts in question include one in which he describes prosecution witness Michael Cohen (a former lawyer) and porn actor Stormy Daniels as “scumbags,” and liberal activists are asked to serve on jurors. It included posts that repeatedly falsely claimed that there was an attempt to infiltrate the group.
President Trump was negative about future decisions. Asked by reporters if he would pay a $1,000 fine for every 10 posts, he replied, “Oh, I don't know.” “They immediately took away my constitution with a gag order,” he said.
Marchan criticized Branch this week for allowing Trump to post, saying he was merely responding to a political attack and commenting on his experience in the criminal justice system.
“When a client violates a gag order, I expect more than just one word,” Marchan said.
A jury verdict in the hush money investigation would not prevent Trump from becoming president again, but because this is a state case, he would not be eligible for a pardon if found guilty. The charge carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison, but it is unclear whether a judge will decide to send him to prison.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's arguments relate to an indictment in federal court in Washington, where President Trump is accused of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. The lawsuit stems from Trump's attempt to drop charges against him. A lower court ruled that he could not claim immunity from what prosecutors say was an illegal attempt to interfere with the election results.
The high court is proceeding with cases more quickly than usual, although not as quickly as in previous years. special prosecutor jack smith If the justices agree with lower courts that Trump can be prosecuted, there are questions about whether there will be time to hold a trial before the November election.
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Long report from Washington. Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.