The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s ‘hush money’ trial warned that if the former President does not attend court proceedings each day, he will be subject to arrest.
The trial, which began Monday with several motions and jury selection, has garnered significant attention. It is historic in nature and could have implications for Trump’s political and legal future.
Jesse Rodriguez, MSNBC’s Vice President of Editorial and Booking, reported on the matter on social media.
“Trump has to be in the courtroom every day for the duration of his criminal trial,” he writes.
Rodriguez quotes Judge Juan Merchan as saying, “If you do not show up there will be an arrest.”
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Trump Hush Money Judge Threatens Arrest
A transcript of the New York court proceedings provided by NBC News further shows Merchan’s seriousness in his threat.
“If you deliberately fail to appear in court when required, then any proceeding in your case, including hearing, trial and, if you are convicted, sentence, can and will continue in your absence,” he states.
“A warrant for your arrest will be issued and you will be subject to separate prosecution and separate punishment for bail jumping no matter what happens in this case. Do you understand?”
The presumptive GOP nominee for President railed against Merchan’s decision on Truth Social. He notes that the judge is essentially preventing him from attending his son’s high school graduation. Not to mention restricting him from attending Supreme Court arguments on immunity claims in another criminal case.
“In Addition to being prohibited from attending my son Barron’s High School Graduation, I have just learned that the highly biased Judge in the Soros ‘appointed’ D.A. Alvin Bragg’s Witch Hunt Case, will not allow me to attend the historic PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY argument in front of The United States Supreme Court,” on Thursday, April 25th (next week!).” he writes.
“This shows such great disdain and disrespect for our Nation’s Highest Court, especially for a topic so important as Presidential Immunity, without which our Country would never be the same!”
RELATED: Flashback – Presidential Candidate John Edwards Acquitted On Campaign Finance Charge, Hillary Clinton Only Paid Fine for Violation
Keeping Him Off The Campaign Trail
Trump also posted a clip of Fox News personality Laura Ingraham commenting on his ‘hush money’ case. Ingraham notes that sure, the left would love jail time for the former President.
But if that doesn’t work out, this judge’s decision gives them another prize.
“Their ultimate fantasy, of course, is a guilty verdict,” says Ingraham. “But even short of that, they hope that keeping Donald Trump off the campaign trail – and any sort of details that emerge. That will all turn the tide for Biden in November.”
“You cannot risk, after all, the people actually choosing their own president.”
This criminal trial over alleged ‘hush money’ payments to porn star Stormy Daniels is practically unprecedented.
You may recall that John Edwards, a significant frontrunner at one point during the 2008 Democrat primary, was indicted by a federal grand jury in North Carolina on six felony charges stemming from efforts to conceal an affair by using campaign contributions.
The Justice Department accused him of funneling nearly $1 million in donations to his pregnant mistress.
But the case didn’t get very far. Edwards was acquitted on one campaign finance violation charge while the others resulted in mistrials. The DOJ would later drop the charges and decline to pursue a retrial.
Why? Because his presidential campaign had been ruined and Edwards walked away from politics. If Trump were not running, and he was not a threat to President Biden, this trial would likely not be happening.
