a carousel of attorneys

 

Jackson Heights neighborhood in the NYC borough of Queens

Juan Merchan

When reading news stories, just when I think I know the name of Donald Trump's lawyer, another name will emerge...

Tacopina

Parlatore

        (Where is he finding these barristers, at the Bada Bing?)

        The judge in the first case will be Juan Merchan, a first generation immigrant from Colombia, who grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens.

----------------- [excerpts from CNN article] ------------ Merchan has been described by observers as a "tough" judge, yet one who is fair, no matter who is before him.

...Trump's arraignment is likely to be a spectacle with a show of law enforcement and with the former president already fanning the flames on social media with his views on Merchan and the indictment.

        But in the courthouse, Merchan does not stand for disruptions or delays...and he's known to maintain control of his courtroom even when his cases draw considerable attention.

"Judge Merchan was efficient, practical, and listened carefully to what I had to say," Nicholas Gravante, the attorney who represented [Trump confidant] Weisselberg in his plea, said via email....

        "Judge Merchan was always well-prepared, accessible, and -- most importantly in the Weisselberg matter -- a man of his word.  He treated me and my colleagues with the utmost respect, both in open court and behind closed doors."

Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a private practice attorney who has worked in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, said "[Merchan] doesn't let the prosecutors or the defendants create any issues in his courtroom.  He doesn't let a media circus or any other kind of circus happen.

        "The judge is the kind of judge where he will ignore it and not hold it against Donald Trump.  He's not vindictive in any way like that."

[end / excerpt CNN article]

[excerpts from New York Times article:  Who is Juan Merchan...]

        The youngest of six children and the first in his family to go to college, he began working when he was 9, carrying groceries for tips, and then held jobs through high school that included washing dishes at a diner and delivering kosher meat.  In college, he worked as a night manager at a hotel.

...He began his legal career in 1994 as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan after graduating from Hofstra University School of Law.... The judge is no stranger to high-profile or complex financial cases, but the largely staid proceedings of this type of case is a far cry from some of the other cases that have garnered media attention in his court.

        For example, in one murder case, a Senegalese man tried to call an expert witness whom prosecutors identified as a witch doctor to testify that he killed his ex-girlfriend while under the influence of evil spirits.  

        Merchan also presided over the trial of a suburban woman accused of running a $2,000-an-hour escort service, nicknamed by tabloids "The Soccer Mom Madam."

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