CNN
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A New York appeals courtroom has denied Donald Trump’s petition to vary the venue of his upcoming hush cash trial.
The previous president’s attorneys on Monday had urged the courtroom to postpone the trial so it may think about whether or not to vary the venue, arguing that Trump can not get a good jury in New York.
However Affiliate Justice Lizbeth González shortly denied the movement to cease the trial after listening to arguments Monday, and there's no additional argument on the movement to vary the venue.
Trump’s attorneys had filed the petition within the state appellate courtroom earlier within the day, one week earlier than his trial is ready to start.
Trump’s attorneys additionally mentioned they're submitting a petition objecting to the gag order imposed by Decide Juan Merchan barring Trump from publicly discussing witnesses within the upcoming trial, in addition to workers and household of the courtroom and district lawyer’s workplace. That was not argued on Monday.
At Monday’s listening to earlier than the appeals courtroom, Trump lawyer Emil Bove rehashed a survey and media research referenced within the former president’s earlier movement submitted to Merchan to postpone primarily based on pretrial publicity. The decide has not dominated on that movement.
“In terms of pretrial publicity in this county this case stands alone,” Bove mentioned.
Jury choice can not proceed subsequent week in a good method in New York County, which is Manhattan, primarily based on their analysis, Trump’s lawyer claimed, reiterating his ask that the trial be delayed whereas their movement for a change of venue is resolved.
Manhattan District Legal professional’s Workplace Chief of Appeals Steven Wu argued it was too late for Trump’s attorneys to make this petition this near the beginning of the trial. He mentioned the right course of is for Trump to resume a request for change of venue if it seems they can't seat a good jury from New York County within the jury choice course of.
The query, Wu mentioned, was not what Trump’s ballot says, however whether or not jury choice can seat 12 neutral jurors and alternates.
“Defendant has assumed throughout this argument here that publicity here is inherently prejudicial. The facts do not bear this out,” Wu mentioned. Wu mentioned the articles for essentially the most half are “even-handed coverage” of the case, summarizing the allegations. He argued {that a} case of this sort attracts worldwide consideration.
Nothing in Trump’s filings suggests New York County is uniquely saturated with media protection or that New Yorkers within the county are uniquely incapable of being honest, Wu argued.
“The mere fact that jurors know about this case is not an indication of bias,” Wu mentioned. “This is the defendant coming into this argument with unclean hands, because the publicity in large part is his own.”
The jury questionnaire for the hush cash trial was additionally launched Monday. Potential jurors will probably be requested a variety of questions - from the place within the metropolis they stay, to the place they get their information, to whether or not they’ve ever attended a rally for the previous president or had any affiliations with teams just like the Proud Boys or with the QAnon motion.
Potential jurors will probably be quizzed on their emotions about Trump and requested in the event that they or anybody of their circle have ever been to a Trump rally or labored or volunteered for a Trump presidential marketing campaign, the Trump presidential administration, or another political entity affiliated with Trump. They’ll even be requested in the event that they’ve ever participated in any anti-Trump teams or occasion. However they received’t be requested explicitly what political occasion they belong to, who they’ve voted for or who they've made political contributions to.
Along with their information consumption, jurors will probably be requested whether or not they’ve ever learn or listened to any books or podcasts by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and a central witness within the case in opposition to him, or former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Pomerantz who additionally wrote a e book about this case.
Jury choice is ready to start within the hush cash trial on April 15.
This headline and story have been up to date with extra developments.
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