1 month ago
Trump "hush money" proceedings to statesman Monday
When bid is called successful room 1530 of nan Manhattan Criminal Court astatine astir 9:30 ET connected Monday morning, it will people nan opening of an arena ne'er earlier seen successful American history: a erstwhile president on proceedings for alleged crimes.
Flanked by his attorneys, Secret Service agents and cardinal run staff, Donald Trump will beryllium seated connected nan near broadside of nan largest courtroom successful nan 83-year-old building, astatine a array wherever countless defendants earlier him person appeared.
The lawsuit is nan first of 4 criminal prosecutions against Trump to make it to trial. He faces charges successful 2 national cases brought by typical counsel Jack Smith successful Washington, D.C., and Florida, and successful a 2nd authorities lawsuit brought by prosecutors successful Georgia. He has pleaded not blameworthy to each charges, claiming nan prosecutions are portion of a crippled by his governmental opponents aimed astatine keeping him from retaking nan White House.
Monday's proceedings will statesman pinch Trump's lawyers and prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's agency arguing complete immoderate outstanding issues related to proceedings rules. Then, nan first of more than 500 imaginable jurors will beryllium escorted into nan room. By that point, galore will person noticed nan bonzer information servants of nan state extracurricular and wrong nan courthouse, arsenic good arsenic anticipated demonstrators for and against Trump. In Trump's caller civilian defamation proceedings conscionable a artifact away, respective would-be jurors appeared visibly shocked erstwhile they first saw him sitting astatine nan defense table.
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan's courtroom astatine Manhattan Criminal Court successful New York, seen connected March 12, 2024.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
Many will beryllium capable to spot Trump and observe immoderate of his reactions while nan judge describes nan case. The allegations, New York State Justice Juan Merchan is expected to say, "are, successful substance, that Donald Trump falsified business records to conceal an statement pinch others to unlawfully power nan 2016 statesmanlike election."
He'll proceed by mentioning nan names of 2 well-known key witnesses successful nan case, some of whom Trump considers archnemeses: his erstwhile lawyer Michael Cohen, and nan big movie prima Stormy Daniels.
"Specifically, it is alleged that Donald Trump made aliases caused mendacious business records to hide nan existent quality of payments made to Michael Cohen, by characterizing them arsenic costs for ineligible services rendered pursuant to a retainer agreement," Merchan will say, according to pretrial tribunal filings. "The [prosecutors] allege that successful fact, nan payments were intended to reimburse Michael Cohen for money he paid to Stephanie Clifford, besides known arsenic Stormy Daniels, successful nan weeks earlier nan statesmanlike predetermination to forestall her from publically revealing specifications astir a past intersexual brushwood pinch Donald Trump."
As a criminal defendant, Trump is required to be proceedings each time of nan proceedings unless he applies for a waiver. He'll watch connected Monday, and apt respective much days, arsenic his lawyers and prosecutors activity to whittle nan group of imaginable jurors down to conscionable 12, positive a fewer alternates. The 2 sides will past statesman presenting their cases.
Trump has entered a not blameworthy plea to 34 counts of falsification of business records. He has accused Bragg of bringing nan lawsuit for governmental gain.In a missive to members of Congress past year, a lawyer for Bragg deed backmost astatine that accusation, saying "were brought by citizens of New York, doing their civic work arsenic members of a expansive jury, who recovered probable origin to impeach Mr. Trump of having committed crimes successful New York."
Graham Kates
Graham Kates is an investigative newsman covering criminal justice, privateness issues and accusation information for CBS News Digital. Contact Graham astatine KatesG@cbsnews.com aliases grahamkates@protonmail.com
