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The judge presiding complete erstwhile President Trump's hush money proceedings doubled down connected his determination that footage of nan infamous "Access Hollywood" portion would not beryllium shown to jurors.
"I stay convinced astatine this infinitesimal … that nan portion should not travel in," Judge Juan Merchan told nan tribunal connected Monday.
The 2005 "Access Hollywood" portion came to ray up of nan 2016 predetermination and showed Trump boasting to big Billy Bush that he could buss and grope women owed to his prima power.
Merchan had antecedently denied nan prosecution from showing nan portion to jurors, saying successful March, "it is not basal that nan portion itself beryllium introduced into grounds aliases that it beryllium played for nan jury."
TRUMP'S HUSH MONEY PAYMENT TRIAL GETS UNDERWAY AS JURY SELECTION BEGINS
Former President Trump exits Trump Tower successful New York City connected Monday, April 15, 2024. Jury action originates coming successful nan alleged hush money proceedings successful Manhattan Criminal Court this morning. (Probe-Media for Fox News Digital)
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass pushed backmost Monday to see grounds surrounding nan video, which he said is an "admission of intersexual assault" and "living impervious that nan suspect wasn’t each talk."
"That is much than conscionable comments of a intersexual nature," Steinglass said, adding that erstwhile nan video surfaced successful 2016, it threw Trump's statesmanlike run into a "tailspin."
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Trump's lawyer said nan video is prejudicial and excessively salacious to coming to nan jury.
Judge Juan Merchan poses for a image successful his chambers connected Thursday, March 14, 2024, successful New York. A twelve Manhattan residents are soon to go nan first Americans ever to beryllium successful judgement of a erstwhile president charged pinch a crime. Jury action is group to commencement Monday successful erstwhile President Trump's hush money trial. (AP Photos)
"The group will get everything they request to beryllium nan charges successful this lawsuit from what your grant has already ruled," Blanche said.
Though Merchan said nan video cannot beryllium shown to jurors, prosecutors tin present Trump's nonstop words from nan video, arsenic good arsenic an email related to nan tape.
The hush money proceedings officially kicked disconnected Monday greeting successful Manhattan, wherever Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records successful nan first degree.
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Adult movie character Stephanie Clifford, besides known arsenic Stormy Daniels, speaks to nan media on pinch lawyer Michael Avenatti outside national tribunal successful nan Manhattan borough of New York City connected April 16, 2018. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)
The trial revolves astir payments made by Trump’s erstwhile individual attorney, Michael Cohen, to erstwhile pornographic character Stormy Daniels up of nan 2016 election. The $130,000 costs was to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital matter she had pinch Trump successful 2006.
Trump, however, has denied nan matter and pleaded not blameworthy to nan charges.
The charges stem from checks written by nan Trump Organization to Cohen complete a astir 12-month play reimbursing him for nan costs to Daniels. Prosecutors opportunity nan checks were falsely recorded arsenic ineligible expenses.
Falsifying business records is simply a misdemeanor, and prosecutors are moving to beryllium that Trump falsified records pinch an intent to perpetrate aliases conceal a 2nd crime, which is simply a felony.
Former President Trump attends nan first time of his proceedings astatine Manhattan Criminal Court successful New York City connected April 15, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP via AP, POOL)
Trump could look much than 10 years successful situation if convicted, though ineligible experts person speculated nan erstwhile president would much apt beryllium fixed probation of up to 4 years if recovered blameworthy by nan jury.
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The proceedings is kicking disconnected pinch assemblage selection, wherever imaginable jurors will beryllium asked a bid of questions to find if they tin reasonably measurement successful connected nan case. Jury action is anticipated to past astatine slightest a week, while nan proceedings is expected to proceed for astatine slightest six weeks.
Former President Trump speaks to members of nan media astatine Manhattan criminal tribunal successful New York City connected Monday, April 15, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Upon presence astatine nan courthouse Monday, Trump slammed nan lawsuit arsenic "political persecution."
"Nothing for illustration this has ever happened before," he said successful Lower Manhattan. "This is governmental persecution. ... It's a lawsuit that should person ne'er been brought."
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"This is an battle connected America and that's why I'm very proud to beryllium here," Trump added. "This is really an onslaught connected a governmental opponent."
