What to Know about The State of New York v. Donald J. Trump Case

Monday, April 15, 2024. As many members of our community prepared for the Boston Marathon, former president Donald J. Trump’s lawyers prepared to go to court. Trump is currently the first former president to stand trial for criminal charges dating back to the 2016 presidential election.

The Charges and Potential Biases

Trump allegedly had an affair with Stephanie Clifford, a porn star who goes by the name “Stormy Daniels,” and, worrying it would damage his 2016 election campaign, paid her “hush money” to refrain from going public about their relationship. Michael Cohen, Trump’s lawyer in 2016, allegedly paid Clifford $130,000, which Trump has supposedly been reimbursing as business records. Trump is also being accused of committing other unlawful actions to gain public favor during the 2016 election and has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. Each count carries, at most, a four-year sentence, and, depending on Judge Juan Merchan’s decision, Trump could receive no prison time at all. The largest challenge the trial has faced thus far has been finding impartial jurors. Most, particularly in New York, have some sort of opinion on Trump, whether negative or positive, greatly reducing the pool of potential jurors disinterested in the case. Trump and his lawyers, including his lead attorney Todd Blanche, are concerned about the bias of jurors, and have been watching each selected jury member closely, particularly after one potential juror claimed Trump was “totally guilty.”

Trump's Response

Since his trial was announced, Trump has been preaching his innocence and claims to be targeted by political opponents. He has made accusations that the Democratic Party and the court system are working together to prevent him from being reelected.Trump, in particular, has made jabs at Judge Merchan’s daughter, who works with Democratic candidates and organizations. This seems to be his main evidence of the conspiracy. Merchan has expanded his gag order to include any talk of the judge’s or juror’s families, stating safety as his number one reason for doing so. However, Trump has already violated this gag order nine times and was forced to pay a hefty fine of $9,000.

Testimonies and Conclusion

One of the most anticipated testimonies occurring on Friday, May 3rd, was that of Hope Hicks. Hicks has played a major role in Trump’s presidential career, first in 2016 as his campaign press secretary and later as the White House communications director. Among many topics, Hicks spoke largely about the stress leading up to the election, especially when the “Access Hollywood” tape came out, which documented some of the most disgusting and controversial phrases Trump has said about women. Judge Merchan allowed for this tape to be discussed during the trial, and Hicks added that, due to the criticism Trump was facing throughout the campaign, he told her to deny the relationship between him and Daniels. The trial was clearly very nervewracking for Hicks, as she broke down into tears afterward.

Despite the election being less than 200 days away, most believe that the verdict of the trial will have little to no impact on voters. Polls have indicated that 86% of Republicans believe Trump is innocent, and a guilty verdict is not likely to change this perception. Many also believe that Trump has already flown under the radar with his alleged tax evasion, housing of private government documents, and accusations of sexual assault, and assume he will be able to dodge this bullet as well. Nevertheless, for those on the fence, one of the major candidates in this election being a convicted criminal may sway them to vote for Joe Biden, the current President and Trump’s biggest opponent.

Sources

Doyle, Katherine. "Trump's Lawyers and Prosecutors Spar over 'Lock Him Up' Posts and 2020 Social Media. Here's What You Missed on Trial Day 2." NBC NEWS, 16 Apr. 2024, www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna147907. Accessed 4 May 2024

Kates, Graham, and Katrina Kaufman. "Trump's 'Hush Money' Trial is Getting Underway. Here's What to Know." CBS News, 19 Apr. 2024, www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/trumps-trial-new-york-today-hush-money-jury-selection/. Accessed 4 May 2024.

Kates, Graham, and Katrina, Kaufman. "Trump Trial Gets Underway in New York with Jury Selection in Historic Case." CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024, www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/trump-trial-begins-today-jury-selection/. Accessed 4 May 2024.

Lithwick, Dahlia, and Anat Shenker-Osorio. "The Trump Trial Is Already Influencing Public Opinion." Slate, 19 Apr. 2024, slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/04/trump-trial-public-opinion-election.html. Accessed 4 May 2024.

Reiss, Adam, et al. "Judge in Trump's Hush Money Case Allows Prosecutors to Discuss 'Access Hollywood' Tape and Affairs as Watershed Trial Begins."NBC NEWS, 15 Apr. 2024, www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna145938. Accessed 4 May 2024.

Scannell, Kara, et al. "Former Trump Aide Hope Hicks Testifies in Hush Money Trial." CNN Politics, 3 May 2024. CNN, amp.cnn.com/cnn/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-03-24/index.html. Accessed 4 May 2024.