If Donald Trump decides to testify in the trial in which he is accused of bribing pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels, these are the cases that Judge Juan Merchan will allow prosecutors to use to interrogate the former president:
Civil fraud case
Merchan will allow Trump to be questioned about the verdict in the civil fraud case that concluded he broke the law by fraudulently inflating the value of his properties. He was ordered to pay more than $464 million in fines, including interest.
Order of silence
The judge will also allow prosecutors to question Trump about two violations of Judge Arthur Engoron's gag order during the final ruling in the trial, in which Trump was fined $15,000.
Defamation case
Prosecutors will be allowed to ask Trump about the two verdicts involving writer E. Jean Carroll, in which the jury concluded that the former president defamed her when he denied her rape allegations. Trump was ordered to pay $83.3 million for defaming Carroll.
Agreement with attorney general
Merchan is also allowing prosecutors to obtain testimony from Trump about the deal he reached with the New York attorney general that led to the dissolution of the Donald J. Trump Foundation.
What will not be allowed
The judge will not allow prosecutors to ask Trump about the decision in Florida, when the judge punished Trump for filing a frivolous lawsuit against Hilary Clinton.
Merchan also ruled that the Trump Organization's 2022 tax fraud conviction is beyond prosecutors' reach if the former president testifies. In issuing his ruling, Judge Merchan noted that the law gives the trial judge “broad discretion” in deciding what to allow to be used in cross-examining a defendant.
Trump sat back in his chair and did not visibly react as the judge read his decision on Friday (19).
The decision was made after the judge held a routine hearing — called the Sandoval hearing — on Friday to address Trump's criminal history and assess how many prosecutors he might ask if he takes the stand. Trump told reporters outside the courtroom on Friday that he wants to give evidence.
Source: CNN Brasil
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