Judge Juan Merchan accused two of President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for the Department of Justice of engaging in “dangerous” and “chilling” rhetoric in the New York criminal case.
Trump was represented by attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove in the case where he was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.
‘President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead.’
In November, Trump nominated Blanche as his incoming deputy attorney general and Bove as his principal associate deputy attorney general.
Merchan issued a Friday ruling announcing that Trump would face sentencing on January 10, just days before his inauguration. The sentencing date was initially scheduled for last July but was repeatedly delayed due to the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity and Trump’s November election victory.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office requested that the case be put on ice until after the completion of Trump’s presidency.
Merchan stated in his Friday decision that sentencing Trump after his term would be “less desirable than imposing sentence prior to January 20, 2025.”
“The reasons are obvious. However, if the Court is unable to impose sentence before Defendant takes his oath of office, then this may become the only viable option,” Merchan wrote.
He indicated that Trump is unlikely to face jail time or other legal consequences in the case.
The judge accused the defense team of coming “dangerously close to crossing the line of zealous representation and the professional advocacy one would expect from members of the bar.”
“Now, however, counsel has resorted to language, indeed rhetoric, that has no place in legal pleadings,” he continued.
Merchan cited the defense’s attempts to dismiss the case by accusing Bragg’s prosecution and the court of “engaging in ‘unlawful’ and ‘unconstitutional’ conduct.”
“Those words, by definition, mean ‘criminally punishable,'” Merchan wrote.
He argued that such terms “have the potential to create a chilling effect on the Third Branch of government.”
“Dangerous rhetoric is not a welcome form of argument and will have no impact on how the Court renders this or any other Decision,” Merchan declared.
In response to Merchan’s ruling, White House communications director nominee Steven Cheung stated, “Today’s order by the deeply conflicted, Acting Justice Merchan in the Manhattan DA Witch Hunt is a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence.”
“This lawless case should have never been brought, and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed,” Cheung continued. “President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts. There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead.”
On Monday, Blanche and Bove responded to Merchan’s ruling by requesting the court delay the January 10 sentencing date, Reuters reported.
According to a court filing, the defense team stated they plan to appeal the judge’s decision to reject Trump’s request to dismiss the case.
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