Wolf.17 Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 When Donald Trump sits at the defence table in the wood-panelled Manhattan courtroom over the next several weeks, he will be joined by a cast of characters who could feature in a Hollywood blockbuster. Opening statements in the first criminal trial of a former US president were heard on Monday. There are a slate of intriguing potential witnesses, including an adult film actress, a fixer-turned-star-witness, a loyal money-man convicted of tax fraud and others. A white-collar defence lawyer who has bet his career on defending Mr Trump is leading the former president's defence team. Meanwhile, Manhattan's first black district attorney has assembled a crack team of Manhattan prosecutors who are very familiar with Mr Trump and his organisation. And the entire case is overseen by a seasoned New York Supreme Court judge who is well aware of Mr Trump's courtroom troubles and behaviour. Mr Trump faces 34 charges of falsifying business records to disguise a hush-money payment to a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair. He has pleaded not guilty and denies having the affair. Below are the central players to know in the historic case. Justice Juan Merchan - the seasoned New York jurist - has previously spent time with Mr Trump in a Manhattan courtroom. He presided over the Trump Organization's tax fraud case that resulted in a hefty fine and jail time for the company's chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg. That means the judge is well acquainted with Mr Trump's orbit and his courtroom tactics to delay, deny and deflect. That behaviour will likely draw Justice Merchan's ire. While he may be soft-spoken, he has earned the reputation of being a no-nonsense jurist. He has already shut down Mr Trump once during jury selection. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has claimed on social media that "there has virtually never been a more conflicted judge than this one", and he has attacked Justice Merchan's daughter - who is employed by a firm that works with Democrats. Mr Trump has since been barred from speaking about the judge's family. The Manhattan prosecutors Alvin Bragg - the Manhattan district attorney - became the first black man to lead the Manhattan District Attorney's office when he was elected in November 2021. He took over the investigation into Mr Trump and announced that his office would bring felony charges against the former president last April. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68861539 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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