A Manhattan judge said Wednesday there was no option for former President Donald Trump to have a jury trial in the $250 million civil fraud case against him.
“We’re having a bench trial because we’re hearing a bench case,” Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron said on the seventh day of Trump’s trial, according to ABC News.
Alina Habba, a lawyer for Trump, 77, said during opening statements last week that her client wanted a jury to oversee the case against him.
And Trump, who was present for the first three days of the trial last week, said in front of the press and on his Truth Social social media platform several times that it was unfair that he couldn’t have a jury in the case.
Engoron said it wouldn’t have mattered if Trump’s team had checked a box on a legal form requesting a jury, or even if he had filed a motion for one, because the judge would have rejected any such request.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is prosecuting the lawsuit, brought the case seeking “equitable” relief, which does not allow for a jury trial, Engoron explained, validating comments Habba also made in the press.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron said Donald Trump’s fraud trial would not have been eligible for jury supervision.AP
“It wouldn’t have helped to file a motion. “Nobody forgot to check a box,” the judge said.
“I would like to thank you, your honor,” Habba responded.
Habba said in a statement the day after opening remarks: “There was never the option to choose a jury trial.
“It is unfortunate that a jury cannot hear how absurd the merits of this case are and conclude that no crime has ever been committed.”
Trump has repeatedly claimed that it was unfair not to be able to get a jury.John Lamparski/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
On Wednesday, Engoron heard testimony from Nicholas Haigh, a retired risk manager at Deutsche Bank, who said the company relied on Trump’s vast personal net worth to agree to lend him $125 million to buy a golf course in 2011. , ABC News reported.
James’ case claims that for a decade, the real estate mogul inflated his wealth by more than $3 billion a year to obtain better loan and insurance terms.
“[Trump] “You are guaranteeing that you will pay our loan – all the money owed,” Haigh said. “It also guarantees that if the result is a loss of money, you will pay the cost of that shortfall.”
Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, said her client preferred a jury in the case and that it was unfortunate that she did not have the option. Meir Chaimowitz/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
He said Trump was allowed to use the Trump National Doral golf club and spa to back the loan, which was an “unusual” guarantee for the bank.
But he did so believing Trump could personally return the money after seeing his annual financial disclosure statements, which James claims Trump lied about every year from 2011 to 2021.
The former commander in chief agreed to keep his net worth at a minimum of $2.5 billion as part of the terms of the loan, Haigh explained.
Engoron said that since New York Attorney General Letitia James sought “equitable” relief in her case against Trump, a jury trial in the case was prohibited.Getty Images
“It was established to ensure the bank was fully protected in adverse market conditions,” Haigh told the judge.
Meanwhile, James has claimed that Trump’s true value was much lower: $1.5 billion at the time he reached the deal, which would have left him in default.
Haigh also said that when Trump came seeking $1 billion in support to buy the Buffalo Bills football team in 2014, the bank rejected the request, as Trump already had a loan with the bank, the outlet reported.
“Deutsche Bank was not willing to increase its credit exposure to Donald Trump at that time,” Haigh testified.
The Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn