Who is Juan Merchan? What to know about the judge in Trump’s hush money case
CNN
The New York judge overseeing Donald Trump’s hush money trial will take center stage in the case Monday with jury selection kicking off in the historic criminal prosecution of the former president.
The New York judge overseeing Donald Trump’s hush money trial will take center stage in the case Monday with jury selection kicking off in the historic criminal prosecution of the former president. New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan is a seasoned jurist who is no stranger to Trump’s orbit. He has presided over the Trump Organization tax fraud trial, sentenced the former president’s close confidant Allen Weisselberg to prison over his role in the scheme and overseen former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s criminal fraud case. But it’s the former president’s trial on charges that he illegally falsified business records over the reimbursement of hush money payments made before the 2016 election that will leave a lasting mark on Merchan’s long career atop the state-level trial court. All eyes will be on the judge as he oversees the first trial Trump has in the four criminal cases brought against him by state and federal prosecutors last year. The presumptive Republican nominee has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Merchan has been described by observers as a “tough” judge, yet one who is fair, no matter who is before him. Here’s what you need to know.
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