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Juan M. MersonTrump really wanted to block this judge — who was he?
A native Colombian could make history: as the first judge in a criminal trial against a former US president. Who is Juan Mergan?
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Born in Colombia and raised in New York, Juan M. Merchan (62) is embracing the American dream.
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He made an impressive career in the judiciary.
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Donald Trump sees the judge as biased because of a previous investigation. He personally attacked the 62-year-old man and did not stop his daughter.
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Merson made it clear before the trial began that he would not tolerate any drama in the courtroom.
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If the jury returns a guilty verdict, Merchan will decide the sentence.
From murder, rape and bodily harm, theft to multi-million dollar investment fraud: Juan M. Merchon (62) presided over various and sometimes confusing experiments.
He really came into the spotlight when he had to deal with the Trump Organizations, his chief financial officer Alan Weiselberg, and finally Donald Trump.
The American Dream
Merchan was born in Colombia and moved to America with his family at the age of six. Raised in poverty in the Jackson Heights district of New York, he earned a law degree from Hofstra University as the youngest of six children and initially worked as a lawyer in Manhattan.
You can read about him because of his hard work and intelligence that he had a great life and embodied the American dream.
In 2006, Merson was appointed a family court judge, and three years later he moved to the court that deals with serious crimes. He goes to Manhattan Psychiatric Court once a week.
Trump: This judge has to go
It's a far cry from the practice that landed Merson through the lottery and he's been conducting since Monday in Room 1530 of Manhattan Criminal Court.
Accused Donald Trump called him a “Trump-hating” judge, and his lawyers tried unsuccessfully to remove him from the trial.
Background: Judge Merson presided over the trial against the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer, Alan Weiselberg.
It ended with a jury guilty verdict and a $1.6 million fine imposed by Merchan. Now Trump and his lawyers are accusing the judge of bias.
$35 donation
They alleged that Merson's daughter was a political consultant whose firm worked for members of the Democratic Party. The judge reportedly donated $35 to Democratic causes in 2020, including $15 to current President Joe Biden. An ethics committee ultimately ruled there was no reason to remove the judge from the investigation.
Prosecutors describe the 62-year-old as confident but not arrogant. Merchan himself says that “everyone is treated respectfully and professionally” in his courtroom.
Trump attacked the judge's daughter
But Trump didn't make it easy for him. The US presidential candidate insults the judge as “corrupt” and “racist” and doesn't stop his family either.
Merson finally pulled the plug and tightened the previously imposed speech ban when Trump posted a provocative right-wing extremist article containing Merson's address and a photo of his daughter.
Since then, Trump has celebrated himself as a victim and complained that he was practically gagged during the hearing.
No time for more drama
Trump is not to be confused with the judge at all: if the jury decides on a guilty verdict, at least Mercen will decide on the sentence.
The Colombian native recently made it clear that he has no time for drama. Although he welcomes “enthusiastic behavior” and “creative defense” in his interrogation room, he strongly advises against “overstepping the bounds of necessary neglect” of his authority.
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“Wannabe pop culture fanatic. Zombie advocate. Entrepreneur. Internet evangelist. Alcohol fanatic. Typical travel buff.”
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