Constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley delivered scathing criticism of the New York legal system following the sentencing of President-elect Donald Trump by Judge Juan Merchan in a case stemming from alleged hush-money payments. Turley described the proceedings as emblematic of a legal system compromised by political motives.
“This is going to be the final gavel fall on a system that allowed itself to be used for political purposes,” Turley stated. “New York, once the premier legal system, has shocked many of us with how far this case was allowed to go.”
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Turley characterized the charges against Trump as “a made-up crime” that should never have gone to trial. He asserted that Judge Merchan facilitated the case with rulings that “showed a lot of bias” and fell “well outside the strike zone.”
“This case has always been more inflated than the Goodyear blimp,” Turley said. “You now have a president who will walk away and go to the White House, but Judge Merchan will guarantee his court’s infamy with this decision.”
Turley argued that the case lacked a clear underlying crime, calling it an effort to revive a “dead misdemeanor” and escalate it into multiple felonies. He noted that other prosecutors, including those in the Southern District of New York, had previously declined to bring charges based on the same evidence.
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While Trump faces a criminal conviction, Turley suggested the harsher judgment would fall on New York’s legal system. “Judgment will be far harsher for the New York court system than it will be on President-elect Trump,” he remarked.
Turley expressed optimism that appellate courts could reverse the decision. “There’s a very good chance this could be reversed,” he said, though he noted skepticism about whether the New York court system itself could “redeem itself” in the process.
Turley also commented on the broader implications of the case as it moves toward appeal, potentially to the Supreme Court. He highlighted Trump’s restrained response to the sentencing and his commitment to focus on the appeals process.
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“In some ways, this helps Trump,” Turley said. “The court has shown independence and restraint, which bodes well for the main appeal. This is a small skirmish in a much larger legal battle.”
Critics of the case, including Turley, argue that it represents an overreach that could set a concerning precedent for the politicization of the legal system. “This was an attack on the court system itself,” Turley concluded, “a misuse of judicial authority for political ends.”
As Trump’s legal team prepares its appeal, the case is expected to remain a flashpoint in discussions about the intersection of law and politics in the U.S.
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