(NationalUSNews.com) — On Thursday, May 23, judges from New York’s Appellate Division ruled against former president Donald Trump’s requests to move the trial out of Manhattan and to have New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan recuse himself.
Trump has maintained that a fair trial in Manhattan was impossible due to strong local anti-Trump sentiment. He has also suggested that Merchan’s daughter’s involvement in political consulting work for Democrats could represent judicial bias in overseeing the case.
However, the appellate court disagreed with Trump’s characterization of both of these issues. On the issue of moving the trial to another county, the request was denied without further explanation. Other New York counties suggested were Suffolk County, Orange County, Richmond County, or Rockland County.
As for Merchan’s refusal to recuse himself, the court dismissed the suit as “time-barred.” The term time-barred indicates that the appropriate time to file has passed and the request can be dismissed without any other reasons. However, the appellate court further said that Trump and his legal team had not established a clear “right to recusal” according to state law.
Court documents indicate that Trump can still use a direct appeal using these arguments if he wishes to after the final judgment in the trial. The ruling also expressed the opinion that granting these “unavailing” remaining arguments would interfere with normal trial and appellate procedures. The former president has complained that Judge Merchan’s gag order made it impossible to testify, as he had originally intended to do. The judge denounced this statement, saying that Trump absolutely had a right to testify. However, it is possible that the former president’s testimony might have included comments that directly violated the specifics of the judge’s gag order.
While some consider the appellate court rulings a direct blow to the former president’s chances in the trial, others believe the filings were just attempts to stall the outcome. The timing of Trump’s various trials, their results, and the ongoing presidential campaign are matters of great concern. The question of how to handle the former president’s trials and their outcomes has been a matter of great concern during this election cycle. Many are concerned about the legal ramifications for the American government if Trump is convicted.
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