Trump juror misconduct/ hush money conviction challenge/ Trump legal battles/ presidential immunity Trump/ Stormy Daniels case updates/ NEW YORK/ Newslooks/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President-elect Donald Trump’s legal team alleges juror misconduct in a bid to overturn his conviction in the hush money case. The redacted claims emerge as Trump’s lawyers explore options to dismiss the case, citing potential disruptions to his presidency and constitutional concerns.
Trump’s Lawyers Challenge Hush Money Case: Quick Looks
- Juror Misconduct Claim: Trump’s lawyers allege “grave misconduct” during the trial, details redacted.
- Historic Case: Trump convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in May.
- Legal Challenges: Defense cites presidential immunity and constitutional concerns post-election.
- Court’s Response: Judge Merchan rejects immunity argument, emphasizing trial integrity.
- Prosecutors’ Alternatives: Proposals include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029.
- Defense’s Stance: Trump’s lawyers dismiss the alternatives as unconstitutional and “absurd.”
- Context: Trump becomes the first convicted criminal elected to the presidency.
Trump Lawyers Allege Juror Misconduct in Hush Money Case
Deep Look
President-elect Donald Trump’s legal team has introduced allegations of juror misconduct in their latest effort to overturn his May conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records tied to a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. Trump, who denies the alleged affair, is the first former president convicted of a felony and the first convicted individual elected to the presidency.
The Juror Misconduct Allegation
In court filings made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, claimed to have evidence of serious misconduct by a juror during the trial. However, details of the accusations were heavily redacted, with three of the seven pages entirely blacked out.
Judge Juan M. Merchan defended the redactions, stating they were necessary to preserve the integrity of the case and protect the safety of jurors, whose identities remain private.
“Allegations of juror misconduct should be thoroughly investigated,” Merchan wrote. “However, this Court is prohibited from deciding such claims on the basis of mere hearsay and conjecture.”
Further submissions from both Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors on the matter remain sealed, leaving the specifics of the misconduct allegations unclear.
Trump’s Broader Legal Strategy
The juror misconduct claim is the latest in a series of legal maneuvers aimed at reversing Trump’s conviction. Earlier this week, Judge Merchan rejected Trump’s argument for presidential immunity, ruling that the Supreme Court’s broad protections for former presidents do not apply to this case.
Since winning last month’s election, Trump’s team has argued that continuing the case would interfere with the transfer of power and create unconstitutional disruptions to his presidency, set to begin on January 20.
Prosecutors Propose Alternatives
To preserve the conviction, prosecutors have proposed several alternatives, including:
- Freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029.
- Agreeing that any future sentence would exclude jail time.
- Treating the case as courts sometimes do when a defendant dies—closing it while noting the conviction without sentencing or resolving appeals.
Trump’s legal team dismissed these suggestions, branding the latter concept “absurd.”
Context of the Conviction
Trump’s conviction centers on allegations that he falsified business records to conceal a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, intended to suppress claims of a decade-old affair during the 2016 presidential campaign. While Trump denies the affair, the case has become a flashpoint in his legal battles and political career.
What’s Next
As Trump prepares to take office, the case’s resolution remains uncertain. While his legal team continues to fight for dismissal, prosecutors aim to uphold the conviction without disrupting the presidency. The outcome of this legal battle will likely have significant implications for Trump’s term and broader legal precedent.
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