(DailyVantage.com) – Legal experts throughout the United States have commented on former President Donald Trump’s ongoing criminal trial in New York, with many criticizing the legal officials involved in the case.
One such expert is Alan Dershowitz, a renowned law professor who once taught at Harvard Law. According to Dershowitz, the judge overseeing Trump’s hush-money trial has acted in an “outrageous” manner and has almost violated Trump’s right to a free trial. Dershowitz also said the trial should be televised so all Americans could watch the case unfold firsthand.
During an appearance on “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” Dershowitz discussed Trump’s case, comparing Judge Juan Merchan to a tyrant and highlighting a recent ruling he felt lacked merit. Merchan recently said he would strike a witness’s testimony, prompting Dershowitz to accuse Merchan of threatening to violate Trump’s constitutional right to an impartial jury under the Sixth Amendment. Merchan threatened to remove Bob Costello’s testimony from the case due to Costello’s behavior during his testimony. According to Merchan, Costello rolled his eyes and muttered various comments under his breath while ignoring court orders.
Dershowitz briefly shared information about an outburst involving Merchan, where the judge threatened to have Costello removed from the courtroom and have his testimony struck from the record. Dershowitz said that had Merchan acted on his threat and removed Costello’s testimony, he would’ve immediately prompted a mistrial due to an abuse of Trump’s legal rights. Dershowitz said Merchan wanted to remove Costello’s testimony to punish Trump, which would’ve established grounds for a new trial without Merchan’s involvement.
Dershowitz’s criticisms of Merchan come as Trump’s defense team has rested their case, allowing the trial’s jury to begin deliberations shortly. Both sides will start closing arguments on May 28th, prompting some legal experts to believe a verdict should materialize within the next week. If convicted for the hush-money scheme, Trump could spend time behind bars. However, many legal scholars believe Merchan may opt for a lesser punishment given Trump’s notoriety.
The prosecution called several witnesses, including Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, and Stormy Daniels, the adult film star at the center of the case. Trump’s defense attorneys opted for a shorter witness list, only calling two witnesses to testify for the former president, Robert Costello, and a paralegal named Daniel Sitko. Costello’s testimony provided insight into Trump’s defense, making Merchan’s threats incredibly questionable to many legal experts.
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