In a recent ruling, New York Judge Juan M. Merchan decided that the "Access Hollywood" video featuring Donald Trump's controversial remarks about grabbing women sexually will not be shown to jurors at his hush money criminal trial. The judge determined that while prosecutors can still question witnesses about the video, the tape itself doesn't need to be introduced as evidence or played for the jury.
Judge Merchan acknowledged the relevance of the tape to the case, particularly regarding Trump's intent and motive for the hush-money arrangement in question. However, he agreed with Trump's lawyers that playing the video could be unduly prejudicial.
The ruling comes amidst delays in the trial due to a last-minute evidence dump that Trump's legal team claimed hindered their defense preparation. The trial, originally set to start on March 25, was postponed until at least mid-April to address this issue.
Trump's hush-money case revolves around allegations of falsifying company records to conceal payments to his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who facilitated the suppression of negative stories during the 2016 presidential campaign. The payments were made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal to silence their claims of affairs with Trump.
While Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, prosecutors argue that the payments were part of a cover-up. Cohen pleaded guilty to related charges in 2018.
In addition to the ruling on the "Access Hollywood" tape, Judge Merchan denied a defense bid to bar key prosecution witnesses, including Cohen, Daniels, and McDougal. However, he ruled that McDougal cannot testify about the details of her alleged affair unless prosecutors demonstrate relevance.
Merchan also rejected the defense's request to prevent prosecutors from arguing that Trump sought to influence the 2016 election improperly or that the National Enquirer aided in suppressing negative stories about him.
The judge deferred ruling on a prosecution request for a gag order on Trump's public statements about the case and indicated that he would issue a separate ruling on delaying the trial indefinitely pending a Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity claims raised in another case involving election interference.
Ultimately, Merchan's decisions reflect ongoing legal battles over the admissibility of evidence and testimony in Trump's hush-money trial.
