Judge Juan Merchan Denies Defense Motion to Sanction Prosecutors for Late Evidence Production

In a recent development in the hush money trial involving former President Donald Trump, Judge Juan Merchan has denied a defense motion to sanction prosecutors for the late production of evidence earlier this year. The defense had argued that prosecutors engaged in misconduct and sought to interfere with the 2024 election by turning over more than 100,000 pages of potential evidence just ahead of the trial.

After an in-person hearing on March 25, Judge Merchan denied the request to adjourn the trial and promised to follow up with a written decision. In his order issued today, Merchan stated that the defendant would not suffer any prejudice as a result of the document production because they were given a reasonable amount of time to prepare and respond to the material.

Additionally, New York’s Appellate Division upheld Judge Merchan’s decision not to recuse himself from the case, despite Trump’s defense team seeking his recusal based on his daughter’s work for a consulting firm with Democratic clients. The appellate judges ruled that Trump failed to prove the judge overstepped his authority by denying the recusal motion.

The appellate court also upheld Merchan’s decision denying Trump’s argument that some of his social media posts were covered by presidential immunity. Trump’s request for a change of venue for the trial was also denied by the court.

During a recent pre-charge conference, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass argued that the jury’s instructions should include that retainer agreements are legally required for lawyers to begin conducting work for a client. Defense attorneys disputed this claim, stating that Cohen was paid by the company for years and never had a retainer agreement with Trump.

The trial will resume on Tuesday morning with summations, as the judge aims to provide final jury instructions by the end of the day Thursday. The defense continues to argue against considering Michael Cohen’s tax crimes as one of the crimes advanced by Trump in the case.

Overall, the hush money trial involving former President Trump continues to unfold with legal battles and arguments from both sides as the proceedings move forward.