Donald Trump appeared in court on Monday in the first criminal trial against a former US president, with two intriguing lawyers by his side.
Attorneys Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles are in the spotlight as they face the nearly impossible task of securing an impartial jury in the former president’s case.
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Trump currently faces 34 criminal charges of falsifying business records linked to an alleged secret payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
The former president denied the accusations, in addition to having already maintained a relationship with the actress.
He faces up to four years in prison if found guilty.
Both lawyers he hired may not be as universally known as Trump, but they bring unique experiences to the challenge of representing a former president.
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WHO IS TODD BLANCHE?
Before representing Trump, Blanche worked as a defense attorney at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, New York’s oldest law firm, according to the Washington Post.
Upon her departure, Blanche opened her own firm – Blanche Law.
Previously, Blanche had been described as a centrist and a Democrat and had a history of working alongside Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
He graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 2003.
Blanche’s friends told the New York Times that it was “shocking” when the lawyer started voting as Republican.
He was reportedly drawn into Trump’s circle after representing the former president’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, according to the Washington Post.
At the time, Blanche helped Manfort avoid state mortgage fraud charges.
He also represented former Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn.
Trump reportedly contacted Blanche to find the best lawyer in the hush money case.
However, he finally prepared for work.
Blanche serves as Trump’s lead defense in the New York case and also serves as his lawyer in separate criminal cases in Florida and Washington D.C., where he was accused of mishandling confidential documents and illegal subversion of election results, respectively.
Trump’s Hush Money Affair
On Monday, Donald Trump appeared in court for the first criminal case against a former US president.
What is he accused of?
Trump faces 34 criminal charges for falsifying business records related to an alleged $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
The alleged payment was made a month before the 2016 presidential election by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Daniels was reportedly paid to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump.
Trump is accused of reimbursing Cohen for the installment payment and marking the payments as legal fees in records.
What does he face?
As falsifying business records is a low-serious crime, the former president could face up to four years in prison if convicted.
What did he beg?
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
He denied the hush money payments and any relationship with Daniels.
WHO IS SUSAN NECHELES?
Necheles is no stranger when it comes to representing Trump.
In 2022, she served as a defense attorney for the Trump Organization, which was later found guilty of criminal tax fraud.
After graduating from Yale Law School in 1983, Necheles began her legal career as an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn.
She then quickly became known as one of the top white-collar criminal defense lawyers in New York, according to USA today.
She represented several high-profile clients, including mobster Benny Eggs and former state senator Pedro Espada, a Democrat.
‘ASSAULT ON AMERICA’
Like the accusations brought against him in the past, the former president denied the allegations with full force.
It’s an attack on America and that’s why I’m very proud to be here. This is an attack on our country and it is a country that is failing.
donald trump
En route to the Manhattan courthouse on Monday, Trump told reporters that the trial was an “attack on America.”
“This is an attack on America. Nothing like this has happened before, there has never been anything like it,” Trump said.
“All the jurists said this case is absurd. It should never have been instituted, it doesn’t deserve anything like this.
“There is no case, and they said so. People who don’t necessarily follow or, as Donald Trump said, it’s an outrage that this case was brought.”
He claimed the charges were “political persecution,” saying they should never have been brought against him.
“It’s an attack on America and that’s why I’m very proud to be here. This is an attack on our country and it is a country that is failing.
“It is a country governed by an incompetent man who is very involved in this case,” he added, attacking President Joe Biden and his expected opponent in the 2024 presidential elections.
“This is really an attack on a political opponent, that’s all.”
Trump was processed in the case of silence in April 2023.
He was ordered to appear in court for the entire trial, which could last up to eight weeks.
However, Blanche warned that there may be times when the former president will be absent.
Judge Juan Merchan told Trump’s lawyer that if he fails to appear in court without explanation, an arrest warrant will be issued for Trump.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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