Fame creates its own appeal, and Donald Trump is usually at the center of it. But in the courtroom, Judge Juan M. Mercan also used force.
Everywhere in our universe, a fundamental law of physics applies: the greater the mass of an object, the stronger its gravitational field.
The accumulated mass of fame and political position places Donald J. Trump at the center of most rooms he is in. In the dimly lit New York courtroom where he is on trial, his gravitational pull remains strong.
Secret Service agents are glued to his every move and gesture, as are many journalists. The jurors watch and watch. If he were to leave the court suddenly, as has happened in other proceedings, it would be the biggest news of the day.
But in court, unlike almost anywhere else, Mr. Trump has competition: The judge, Juan M. Merchan, exudes his own charisma and wields an authority that Mr. Trump does not have. On Thursday, as a new group of 96 potential jurors entered the high-ceilinged room, their attention turned from the former president seated at the defense table to the judge. Judge Merchan spoke to them for half an hour about the case and their roles.
The judge said: “The defendant in this case is Donald Trump, and he is sitting to my right. » Many Manhattanites – who are usually good at pretending not to be bothered by their celebrity encounters – took the opportunity to watch.
The competition for attention between the judge and the former president — the rule of law and the spectacle that conflicts with it — will likely be one of the defining features of the trial, in which the former president is accused of 34 crimes. By covering up a sex scandal that could have harmed his presidential campaign.
In most courtrooms, the judge is an unquestionable authority, often relying on the loyalty of jurors as a caring father figure. Judges often protect jurors, preparing them for their crucial role in determining the defendant's future.
“We are both judges in this case,” Judge Merchan told the 96 potential jurors on Thursday. "It is important to realize that we judge different things. "You, the jury, judge the facts of the case in order to reach a verdict of guilty or not guilty, and I judge the law, that is- that is, I decide questions of law and instruct the jury on the law.
Many defendants, often on the advice of their lawyers, make a discreet presence at the defense table. They don't want to get used to reacting to events. Actor Jonathan Majors, who was tried late last year in Manhattan on an assault charge, often tilted his head away from jurors to better hide his expressions and reactions.
It's not Mr. Trump. He didn't speak to the potential jurors Thursday, but he certainly looked at them, following them with his eyes as they walked toward the jury box to answer questions.
Earlier in the week, Judge Merchan chastised Mr. Trump for trying to more directly influence a potential juror. The woman was called into the courtroom individually so that lawyers and the judge could question her about old social media posts. As he left, the judge turned, not to the former president, but to his lawyer, Todd Blanche.
“While the juror was on the stand, maybe 12 feet from your client, your client was audibly mumbling something,” the judge said in a high-pitched tone. "He was pointing and speaking audibly in the direction of the juror. I will not tolerate that. I will not be intimidated by the jurors in this courtroom. I want to make that very clear."
“Yes, Your Honor,” Mr. Blanche said.
“Take a minute. Talk to your client,” the judge ordered.
Mr. Blanche did it.
Two days later, another juror was brought into the courtroom alone for questioning. He was already seated, but prosecutors became concerned about him, saying he may have lied when answering questions in the screening process.
This sounded like a discussion that might interest the former president: he expressed concern about the composition of the jury and wondered whether it could be fair.
But as lawyers questioned the juror and continued their discussion after he left the room, Mr. Trump sat silently at the defense table, looking much like any other defendant.