The judge overseeing the Manhattan case rejects president-elect’s latest attempt to overturn conviction, dismissing it as “mere hearsay and conjecture.”
In the ongoing legal battle to overturn Donald J. Trump’s criminal conviction in New York, his lawyers have employed various tactics. They have cited a recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, argued that the case infringes on his electoral mandate, and attempted to shift the proceedings to federal court due to allegations of bias by the state court judge. Now, they are focusing on discrediting the jury that found him guilty.
In a recently unsealed letter to the judge, Trump’s legal team claimed to have uncovered evidence of serious juror misconduct during the trial. They asserted that the jury was not fair and impartial, though the specifics of the alleged misconduct remain undisclosed due to heavy redactions in the letter and related documents. The identity of the individual who raised the accusation is also kept confidential.
A spokesperson for Trump suggested that a juror may have exhibited political biases during the trial, insinuating that partisan motivations influenced the entire legal process, including the jury’s deliberations. However, like previous attempts to invalidate his 34 felony convictions, this latest strategy is considered a long shot.
Despite the aggressive legal maneuvers, Trump’s efforts to overturn his conviction face significant challenges. The legal system typically upholds the integrity of jury decisions, and proving juror misconduct substantial enough to warrant a retrial is a daunting task. Furthermore, the lack of specific details in the allegations of misconduct may weaken their credibility in court.
It remains to be seen how this new angle in Trump’s legal battle will unfold. As the case continues to garner attention, the former president’s legal team faces an uphill battle in their quest to reverse his criminal conviction.
Source: The NY Times
