Judge Juan Merchan’s Bias Against Donald Trump is Unjustifiable
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan is misusing his authority one final time in an effort to guarantee that Donald Trump is technically considered a convicted felon when he takes the oath of office on January 20.
Indeed, the designation “convicted felon” doesn’t legally apply until a sentencing occurs, which is also a prerequisite for nearly all appeals related to a conviction. Merchan’s numerous mistakes throughout the trial are likely to lead to a reversal of Trump’s conviction.
Consequently, the judge has been prolonging the proceedings to ensure he can sentence Trump on Friday, just days before the inauguration, leaving insufficient time for a potential appeal.
On Monday, Merchan declined to delay the sentencing; a higher state judge has chosen not to overrule him; Trump has requested intervention from the US Supreme Court, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is expected to provide input on Thursday morning regarding why SCOTUS should not intervene.
In the meantime, Merchan has signaled that the sentence will consist of “unconditional discharge,” meaning no incarceration, probation, or fines — however, Trump’s official conviction would still be recorded.
This would enable Democrats and other Trump opponents to continuously emphasize that he is the first convicted felon to become president, regardless of how the case unfolds on appeal.
Moreover, it appears to be a strategy to discourage the president-elect from pursuing an appeal, thereby avoiding a potential higher court rebuke of the Manhattan trial judge. Once he is back in charge, he will have significantly more pressing matters to address.
In fact, Trump is already facing critical challenges; the country is in such a dire situation that he needs to be ready to act immediately after the inauguration. It’s outrageous that he may need to spend time next week seeking an emergency appellate hearing to counteract the “felon” narrative.
Bragg was engaged in lowball politics by bringing these charges initially, and Merchan has absurdly played along.
The reality is that they have provided the incoming Trump Justice Department with substantial grounds to investigate both for unconstitutional misuse of state power aimed at influencing the last federal election.
Nonetheless, New York’s higher courts have a responsibility to hold Merchan accountable for his abuses.
Trump Derangement Syndrome has transformed Merchan into a contemporary Captain Ahab, trapped in an irrational fixation on his target long beyond reason — he risks sinking under the weight of his own harpoon.
