Turley says Judge Merchan's decision to keep Trump as 'defendant in waiting' is 'perfectly horrific'
Judge Merchan upholds Trump's 34-count felony conviction
Constitutional law attorney Jonathan Turley weighs in after Judge Juan Merchan upheld Trump's 34-count felony conviction by claiming the Supreme Court's presidential immunity ruling does not apply in this case.
Fox News contributor and George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said, Tuesday, that Judge Juan Merchan's decision to uphold Donald Trump's 34-count felony conviction continues his ‘perfectly horrific and longest performance of Hamlet in history.'
JUDGE REJECTS TRUMP REQUEST TO TOSS BRAGG CHARGES IN NEW YORK ON BASIS OF PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY
Jonathan Turley: "Well, he really iron-plated this decision. He said, first of all, this was not official conduct, but even if it was official conduct, it wasn't protected. And even if it was protected and some evidence came in that shouldn't have come in, it was all harmless error. So, you can pick any one of those three, and he would still be good to go. That is an opinion that is likely to get support from some people on the appellate level…
Judge Juan Merchan imposed over Donald Trump (AP)
… What's interesting about the opinion is it really contradicts what many in the media have said for months, that the Supreme Court's decision granted sweeping immunity, that it was a ‘death squad ruling.'
Merchan had no difficulty in finding exceptions that might apply to this case. And so I think a lot of judges would probably agree with the outcome, not necessarily all the reasoning of Judge Merchan, but we will have to see there are good faith arguments the Trump team made and will make on appeal.
This judge has the longest performance of Hamlet in the history of New York and Broadway. I mean, we're waiting for him to just simply reach these decisions so that we can have clarity and more importantly, an appeal. So he's got a number of objections to how he handled the trial. Some of us believe the trial is riddled with reversible errors. He's unlikely to find that he committed those errors, and then he's got to deal with the sentencing question…
… You have District Attorney Bragg saying, well, maybe we should just leave him in sort of suspended animation for four years. That would leave the leash in the hands of Judge Merchan, the state trial judge who would just sit there pending a sentencing on the president…
Former President Trump and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. (Emily Elconin/Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
… I think many Democrats would like that. They would like him to be this defendant in waiting for four year. It's a perfectly horrific idea. And I hope that he doesn't take that because it would be bad for the country, I think be bad for the court.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
This article was written by Fox News staff.
