He ‘Hates Me’: What You Should Know About The New York Judge Assigned To Trump Case

New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has been appointed to oversee the hush money prosecution of former president Donald Trump. Merchan has a reputation for ruling against the associates of the former president in previous cases. Critics have suggested that the case against Trump is politically motivated due to the perceived soft approach of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg towards violent offenses.

Trump claims that Merchan was “handpicked” by Bragg to preside over the case and has continuously claimed that Merchan is biased against him. Judge Merchan is a Colombian immigrant and obtained a law degree from Hofstra University in 1994. He has worked in the NY Supreme Court since 2009, working on cases such as the recent trial involving the Trump Organization. Merchan found the organization guilty of 17 charges related to tax evasion for which the firm had to pay a $1.6 million fine, the legal maximum.

Trump will be charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, each of which carries as many as four years in prison per charge, but are the lowest-level felonies in the state. Merchan has denied a request from a coalition of news outlets for video coverage but will allow photographers to take still photos of Trump before the arraignment begins on Tuesday. He may also impose a gag order on Trump, which would prohibit him from discussing the details of the case.

Trump is also facing other legal challenges related to his efforts to stay in power after the 2020 election, alleged meddling in the 2020 election in Georgia, and his handling of government records after leaving office.