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(CNN) When Donald Trump enters a courtroom in New York on Tuesday, he faces a seasoned judge familiar with the former president’s trajectory.
Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Marchan sentenced Trump aide Allen Weisselberg to prison, presided over the Trump Organization’s tax evasion trial, and accused former adviser Steve Bannon of fraud. supervised.
But Tuesday’s historic arraignment of Trump will be Marchan’s most high-profile lawsuit to date, even after a long career in state-level trial courts.
Merchan has been described by observers as a “tough” judge, but he’s fair no matter who is in front of him.
Here’s what you should know:
“Promise Keeper”
Trump’s arraignment is likely to be a spectacle, given the law enforcement show and the former president already fanning the flames on social media with his views on Marchan and his indictment.
But in court, Martian doesn’t tolerate confusion or delays, the attorney who appeared before him told CNN.
“Judge Marchan was competent, practical, and listened carefully to what I said,” Weisselberg’s attorney, Nicholas Grabante, said in an email.
“He had clearly demonstrated his judicial inclinations and was very helpful in giving Mr. Weisselberg informed legal advice. Judge Murchan was always ready and accessible. , and most importantly, in the Weisselberg case – he was a man of his word. He treated me and his colleagues with the utmost respect, both in open court and behind closed doors.”
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a private practice attorney who oversaw the case presided over by Marchan and who previously worked as an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, echoed that sentiment.
“[Merchan] He does not allow prosecutors or defendants to make trouble in his courtroom. He doesn’t let the media circus or any other circus happen. I don’t think Donald Trump’s attacking and threatening him bodes very well for him in court.
“The judge is the kind of judge who ignores it and doesn’t hold it against Donald Trump. He’s not persuasive in that way.”
“Strict” but “Gentle”
Marchan showed his hardline side when Weisselberg was found guilty, telling a former Trump colleague after hearing evidence at trial if he had not yet promised a five-month prison term. said he would have handed down a “heavier” sentence.
When he presided over Bannon’s criminal fraud case, Marchan accused the former Trump aide’s new team of attorneys of delaying the case when he asked for more time to consider new evidence.
In addition to the Trump lawsuit, Marchan has also presided over other high-profile lawsuits, including the “Soccer Moms Moms” trial, in which a suburban mother was charged with running a $2,000 pension. A bond of $2 million has been set for Anna Gristina. Bloomberg News reported offering his one-hour escort service for high net worth individuals.
Merchan also sentenced a Senegalese man who raped and murdered his girlfriend to 25 years in prison.
Trump’s attorney, Timothy Perlatore, said in an interview with CNN on Friday that he “didn’t have it easy” when Marchan attempted a lawsuit in front of him, but the judge was probably fair. there will be.
“I have litigated before him before. He can be tough. I don’t think this will change his ability to assess the facts and the law,” Parlatore said. Told.
But Marchan is also recognized by his peers for helping create the Manhattan Mental Health Court, which he often presides over, and for having earned a reputation for “compassionate” judgments that give defendants second chances. increase.
“I saw a colleague try a shooting where someone was shot, so he could try a very serious violent crime and then switch,” said a former Manhattan district attorney. Assistant criminal defense attorney Brendan Tracy said. District Attorney’s Office.
“He may be a serial shoplifter who was later charged with grand larceny and had a mental health problem and ended up in a mental health treatment court, but he handled a wide range of cases and kept them all fair. I was able to go to
Still, Earl Ward, a trial attorney and chairman of the public defender nonprofit The Bronx Defenders, said judges often sided with prosecutors when they saw Merchan preside over trials in mental health courts. rice field.
“He’s fair and his sentence is consistent with the law, but if it’s at stake, his reputation is that he’s on the side of the prosecution,” Ward said. .
early career
Merchan began his legal career in 1994 as an Assistant District Attorney in the Courtroom of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. A few years later, he moved to the state attorney general’s office, where he worked on cases on Long Island.
In 2006, then-Republican New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed Marchan to the Bronx Family Court Judge, and Democratic Gov. David Patterson appointed Marchan to the New York State Court of Claims Judge in 2009. Judge of the Supreme Court of New York.
Born in Bogota, Colombia, Marchan immigrated to the United States at the age of six and grew up in the New York City neighborhood of Jackson Heights, Queens, according to a Judge profile in The New York Times. He was the first in his family to go to college.
Marchan studied business at Baruch College in New York City, then dropped out of school to find a job, only to return a few years later to finish school.
He eventually earned a law degree from Hofstra University.
CNN’s Kara Scannell and Lauren del Valle contributed to this report.
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