Former president Donald Trump is facing criminal charges in New York for allegedly falsifying business records related to an alleged payment to the porn star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election. The exact details of the charges are not known yet. Trump is set to be arraigned next week in the Manhattan Supreme Court and will be facing Judge Juan Merchan, a seasoned jurist with more than 16 years of experience on the bench and holds degrees from Baruch College and Hofstra University.
Trump has expressed his dissatisfaction with Merchan in a public statement in which he accused the judge of “railing” former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, who is currently serving time for tax fraud charges on Rikers Island. He also suggested that Merchan was hand-picked by the district attorney's office, although this has been denied by a spokesperson for New York State Courts.
The indictment against Trump marks the first time a President has been charged in a criminal matter and has caused a stir in political circles. Trump has responded to the indictment with a lengthy statement labeling it as political persecution and election interference and accusing Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros, of Joe Biden's "dirty work" instead of addressing New York City's crime wave.
Trump's arraignment hearing could involve a gag order being imposed by Judge Merchan should he feel that Trump’s words could incite violence or influence a jury pool. Prosecutors may ask for this only as a last resort after any potential violence by protesters, as his public statements would likely help only their case. Trump's lawyers must do a better job of curtailing him on their own.
The outcome of the case will be critical in deciding the fate of Trump's third bid for the White House. Trump believes the Indictment will massively backfire on Joe Biden and his movement will eventually defeat Biden and the "Crooked Democrats" in order to "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN". As the case unfolds the world awaits to see how justice will be served.