In a recent interview on CNN, legal expert Norm Eisen of the think tank/policy organization Brookings asserted that there is just no basis in the relevant laws for any ambition of substantially slowing down the criminal case against former President Donald Trump that recently reached trial in New York City.
Trump lost in another attempt at delaying the trial just this past Friday, failing in attempts to argue — via, specifically, his legal team — there were problems with the jury selection.
“Having been in the courthouse, I mean, the vast number of jurors who were screened, this is one of the most elaborate processes I’ve seen,” Eisen said on the air, while speaking with CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “Donald Trump never saw a trial delay that he didn’t like. There is absolutely no basis in New York law, as has been affirmed by the judge and reaffirmed by the appellate courts, for this case to be moved, delayed or slowed down in any way. So I think it can be a fair trial and it is a good thing that we are moving with reasonable expedition in one of these criminal cases.”
Trump’s wide-ranging attempts at getting the local criminal case against him delayed have hinged on a push to change the trial’s location and a challenge to a gag order from presiding Judge Juan Merchan, alongside other complaints. Trump’s team, for instance, sought — multiple times — the recusal (meaning exit) from the proceedings of Merchan, pointing in part to alleged conflicts stemming from purported political activities of a daughter of his. Merchan rejected the most recent of these requests as the trial got going with jury selection early last week.
Relatedly, he expanded the gag order on Trump to cover his family members and family members of others involved in the case after Trump began targeting the judge’s daughter in public remarks.
