By Luis De Jesus
03 May 2024, 18:13 PM EDT
Judge Juan M. Merchan explained this Friday to former President Donald Trump that the ‘gag order’ of his criminal trial in New York does not prohibit him from testifying and that he has the absolute right to do so if he wishes.
Merchan, who emigrated from Colombia to the Big Apple with his family when he was a child, made this clarification after the New York businessman stated a day earlier outside the court that he could not testify due to the measure, the Efe news agency published.
The judge noted that the ‘gag order’, which prevents Trump from speaking publicly against witnesses, prosecutors and jurors, only takes effect when the former president is outside the criminal courtroom.
Therefore, he stressed that Donald Trump is guaranteed to testify if he so decides, since it is a “constitutional and fundamental right.”
Prior to the start of the session this Friday, the Republican also informed the press in the hallways of the court that his ‘gag order’ does not prevent him from testifying, although it does prohibit him from responding to people’s criticism. Thus, he implied that his previous statement was a mistake.
Trump has reiterated on several occasions his intention to take the stand to defend his innocence.
The tycoon faces 34 serious charges of falsifying accounting records in the first degree to cover up an extramarital sex scandal. During the first three weeks of the trial, the prosecution has already presented seven witnesses.
Former employee burst into tears during interrogation
Hope Hicks, who worked on former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and was part of his White House team until 2018, was moved to tears Friday as the former president’s legal team began their questioning in the New York criminal trial. .
Given Hicks’ emotional state, the judge in charge of the case chose to take a break in the process, in which Trump faces 34 charges, including falsifying business documents to cover up his extramarital relationship with porn actress Stormy Daniels. .
Prosecutors were the first to question Hicks, who, despite expressing nervousness, maintained composure in his answers. He recounted in court the day in 2016 when he spoke to Trump and his then-right-hand man, Michael Cohen, about Daniels’ request for money to keep his affair secret.
During the first part of his testimony, Trump closely watched his former employee’s statements from the stand. However, she subsequently preferred to follow his testimony through the video screen in front of him and after the lunch break, he was seen reclining in his chair, with his eyes closed.
On Thursday, on his social media account, the current Republican candidate for this year’s presidential election stated that he did not fall asleep in court, but simply closed his “beautiful blue eyes” to listen “carefully.”
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