Judge Juan Merchan of the Stormy Daniels case has criticized former President Donald Trump’s defense team for not objecting to Daniels’ testimony during their motion for a mistrial. Merchan expressed surprise at the lack of objections when Daniels took the stand, rejecting the defense’s motion.
During the trial, Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche argued that Daniels had changed her story and that the defense was caught off guard by certain questions that they heard for the first time on Tuesday. However, Merchan pointed to specific examples of testimony that he felt were unnecessary, such as Daniels’ recounting of Trump’s alleged comment about her living in a trailer park before their encounter.
The judge also questioned why Trump’s attorney Susan Necheles did not object to certain details of Daniels’ testimony, such as Trump allegedly not wearing a condom during their encounter. Merchan referenced the defense’s opening statement denying a sexual encounter between Daniels and Trump, which he said allowed the prosecution to ask more detailed questions about the alleged encounter.
Merchan emphasized that the more specificity Daniels provides about the encounter, the more the jury can weigh whether it occurred and whether they choose to credit her story. The judge’s criticisms of Trump’s defense team’s handling of Daniels’ testimony highlight the importance of objecting to potentially damaging statements during a trial to ensure a fair legal process.
