Intriguing Trump Filing in Hush Money Trial Betrays Testimony Fears. Lawyers for Donald Trump are trying to stop prosecutors from asking him about past legal decisions in his hush-money criminal case. Trump, who is expected to run for president in 2024, is accused of falsifying records to hide payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star who claims they had an affair in 2006. Trump denies the affair and the charges against him.
The trial is set to start on April 15, but Trump’s lawyers want to delay it. They’ve asked the judge, Juan Merchan, to step down from the case. If the trial proceeds, it will be the first of four criminal cases against Trump and the first criminal trial of a former president.
Roger Parloff, a legal editor, highlighted a letter from Trump’s lawyers in March, where they objected to prosecutors questioning Trump about past court decisions. The prosecutors notified Trump on March 10 that they intended to ask him about 13 court decisions and the facts behind them. Trump’s lawyers plan to challenge this.
Susan Necheles, one of Trump’s attorneys, declined to comment on the matter. Parloff noted that judges typically hold a hearing before a trial to determine if past acts can be brought up as evidence. The judge must ensure that any evidence of past acts is relevant and does not unfairly prejudice the jury against the defendant.
Parloff speculated on which past acts might be allowed, such as fraud and deceit, but suggested that inflammatory topics like the E. Jean Carroll case might be excluded. Carroll accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s, and Trump was ordered to pay her millions in damages for defamation. Parloff believes the judge would allow evidence related to fraud allegations but might exclude certain inflammatory or unresolved matters.