UPDATE APRIL 30, 2024: Judge Juan M. Merchan said on April 30 that Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial will not be held on May 17. The former president can attend his son's graduation. This story as originally published appears below.
Former President Donald Trump entered a New York City courtroom on April 15 for the start of jury selection and pre-trial motion hearings in his hush money criminal trial. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Following the first day of trial, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to blast presiding Judge Juan Merchan, saying that while in court, Merchan denied Trump the chance to attend his son Barron's high school graduation.
“The Judge, Juan Merchan, is preventing me from proudly attending my son’s Graduation. Seems very unfair, doesn’t it? But this whole event is unfair,” a portion of Trump’s Truth Social post says.
Across social media, people expressed shock and outrage that the judge would keep Trump from attending the graduation.
“Trump should go to Barron’s graduation. A judge threatening him over it is insane,” conservative commentator Benny Johnson posted on X. An X account managed by the Republican National Committee says, “It’s disgusting to stop Trump from attending Barron’s graduation for a partisan sham trial that shames America.”
Kari Lake, a Republican Senate candidate from Arizona, also posted, “All the hard work our kids put into graduating, & President Trump is being robbed of getting to experience his son’s High School graduation ceremony.”
On Fox News, both show hosts and guests said Trump could be threatened with arrest if he attends Barron’s graduation.
THE QUESTION
Did the judge bar Donald Trump from going to Barron Trump's graduation?
THE SOURCES
- News coverage from Trump’s trial on April 15
- New York Section 340.50 - Defendant's presence at trial
THE ANSWER
No, the judge didn’t bar Donald Trump from going to Barron Trump's graduation. The judge said it was too early to decide if Trump would be excused from the trial on the date of the graduation.
WHAT WE FOUND
During the first day of former President Donald Trump’s trial on April 15, presiding Judge Juan Merchan did not deny a request from Trump’s counsel for the former president to attend his son’s May 17 high school graduation. Merchan said he would not yet rule on the request because it depends on how the trial progresses.
“It really depends on if we are on time and where we are in the trial,” Merchan said, according to several reports from the trial.
Trump’s trial isn’t being televised, but several news organizations are providing updates from inside the courtroom while the trial is ongoing. The jury is currently being selected for the trial. After they are seated, the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.
Barron Trump’s graduation from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, is scheduled for May 17 – about four weeks from the start of Trump’s trial date. So, there is a chance Trump’s trial won’t have concluded by the time Barron is scheduled to receive his high school diploma.
Merchan has said he would rule at a later date on whether Trump can attend; he said he would base his decision on how the trial is progressing. A Trump lawyer also requested the trial not be held June 3 so that he can attend his own son’s graduation.
Merchan said if the trial proceeded as planned, he would consider adjourning for both graduations.
In New York, a criminal defendant is required to appear in court unless they were granted a motion to miss trial by the judge or if they were forcibly removed due to disruption, New York law says.
If anyone violates a judge’s order and fails to appear in court, a bench warrant could be issued for that person. It doesn’t matter why the person missed an appearance, even if they’re attending a family member’s graduation ceremony.
While Merchan didn’t issue any ruling on Trump’s request to attend Barron’s high school graduation, he did strike down a request for Trump to miss court on April 25 to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court.
On April 25, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether Trump is immune from criminal charges in his federal election interference case. Trump is not required to attend the oral arguments before the Supreme Court, but is required to attend his New York City trial as a criminal defendant, Merchan said on April 15.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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