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NEW YORK — Jurors heard from the first witness Monday in the historic criminal trial of former President Donald Trump, who is accused of illegally covering up hush money payments aimed at influencing the results of 2016 presidential election.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records.
Here are some of the key players to know:
Juan Merchan, New York state judge
A seasoned jurist, New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan has already dealt with other cases involving Trump, according to CNN. In 2023, he sentenced former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg for tax fraud and oversaw former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s fundraising fraud trial, the news network reported. In 2022, the judge oversaw the Trump Organization tax fraud trial.
He has twice rejected requests from Trump’s lawyers that he step down due to a perceived bias stemming from his daughter’s work running a political consulting firm that has worked for Democrats, according …
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