Judge Merchan’s efficient handling of Donald Trump’s trial has been attributed to his previous experiences as a hotel manager and dishwasher.
Despite initial suggestions that the jury selection process could take weeks, Merchan has managed to select a third of the jury and alternates in just two days.
His no-nonsense approach and intolerance for disruption or delay have been praised by Columbia Law School professor John Coffee.
Merchan’s background includes working as a dishwasher and hotel manager while attending university, where he was the first in his family to pursue higher education. He graduated from Baruch College in 1990 and later obtained a law degree from Hofstra University.
Prior to his appointment as a family court judge in 2006, Merchan worked in the Manhattan district attorney’s office. Known for his punctuality, Merchan even reprimanded Trump’s legal team for returning late from a break earlier this week.
The judge, in conjunction with an appellate court, has consistently rejected the requests of Trump’s attorneys for delays or a change in venue for the trial.
According to former judge Barry Kamins, “Merchan possesses the ideal temperament to preside over a high-profile trial with a defendant who will test the judge’s patience.”
In this particular case, he has taken a firm stance in safeguarding jurors from external interference and intimidation by granting them strict anonymity.
“A protective order is necessary,” he stated prior to jury selection. “There is a likelihood of bribery, jury tampering, or physical harm or harassment of jurors.”
On Tuesday, he reprimanded Trump directly for the first time after the defendant was audibly muttering and making animated gestures that could be heard by potential jurors.
“I will not tolerate any intimidation of jurors in this courtroom,” Merchan declared, instructing Trump’s lawyers to address their client’s behavior.
Trump has accused Merchan of bias, arguing that due to a small donation to the Democratic Party and the judge’s daughter working for a campaign-related company associated with his opponents, he cannot receive a fair trial.
In response to the former president’s outbursts, Merchan issued a gag order prohibiting Trump from publicly disparaging jurors and court staff, which he later expanded to include his own family and the lead prosecutor’s family.
However, Trump, who is accused in this case of concealing hush money payments to a porn star with whom he allegedly had an affair to protect his 2016 presidential campaign, continues to criticize the judge.
“We believe we have a highly biased judge who shouldn’t be presiding over this case,” Trump stated outside the courtroom on Tuesday.
Merchan has agreed to the prosecution’s request for a hearing next week to determine whether Trump is already in contempt of court, a charge that could result in imprisonment for the former president if he is found guilty.
Coffee stated that while (Merchan) may ensure the trains’ punctuality, it is improbable that the Secret Service, responsible for Trump’s safety, would consent to his imprisonment.
After a break on Wednesday, the trial resumes on Thursday.
