Judge Juan Merchan expressed skepticism on Monday regarding Donald Trump's allegations against the Manhattan district attorney over the production of new documents. The judge questioned the accusations of unethical behavior by the district attorney's office during a hearing to address Trump's motion for sanctions.
Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, faced scrutiny from Judge Merchan as he was unable to provide case law supporting the allegations against the district attorney's office. The judge appeared exasperated that the defense couldn't cite any legal basis for their claims of prosecutorial misconduct.
Merchan highlighted the seriousness of the allegations, describing them as 'incredibly serious' and 'unbelievably serious.' He expressed concern that the defense failed to provide citations to substantiate their accusations, particularly regarding the handling of documents by the district attorney's office.
During the hearing, Judge Merchan also questioned why Trump's legal team did not request the documents sooner, especially after tens of thousands of documents were produced in March following a subpoena issued in January. The judge noted that the delay in requesting the documents had led to the postponement of the trial, which was originally scheduled to begin on the day of the hearing.
The hearing revolved around Trump's motion for sanctions against the district attorney's office, seeking actions such as the dismissal of charges, exclusion of testimony from key witnesses, and a 90-day delay in the trial proceedings. The judge's skepticism and pointed questions underscored the need for concrete evidence to support the serious allegations made by Trump's legal team.
