A drawing of Judge Juan Merchan (Archyde.com)
With his court appearance imminent, the talk is about Judge Juan Merchan, who former President Donald Trump says he “hates”, as he is a veteran jurist known for being tough, but compassionate.
“He’s a serious, intelligent, even temperamental jurist, and he’s not one of those judges who yell at attorneys,” said Ron Coby, a veteran Manhattan defense attorney, according to a report by NBC NEWS.
New York judge-turned-defense attorney Barry Cummins said his 60-year-old former colleague was “well known, even in difficult situations, for his excellent temperament, integrity and strong knowledge of the law,” referring to Merchant.
Trump: The judge hates me
In contrast, Trump took a different view from Merchan, the acting state Supreme Court justice who is set to preside over the trial on Tuesday and is likely to oversee any subsequent trial.
On Friday morning, Trump blasted Judge Merchan on his Truth Social website, while misspelling the judge’s last name.
He said that “the judge assigned to the case hates him.” Trump misspelled the judge’s name Juan Manuel Marchand, claiming he was chosen for the case by Manhattan Attorney General Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.
Trump complains
Lucien Chalfen, a spokesman for the state court system, said Merchant was randomly assigned to oversee the grand jury, and that judges who oversee such investigations are then assigned to hear any cases that fall out of the grand jury.
Trump also complained about the judge’s handling of the recent tax fraud trial involving the Trump Organization, which was fined $1.6 million after being found guilty on all 17 counts.
Donald Trump (archives – France Press)
The prosecution witness in that case was former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, who testified against the company as part of a plea agreement.
The indictment against Trump will reportedly be revealed at the subpoena on Tuesday, when he is expected to file a plea in the case.
Trump is the first former president to be criminally charged.