“Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal, and I can certainly appreciate why your client would want to be there, but a trial in New York Supreme Court … is also a big deal,” Judge Juan Merchan said.
During Monday’s first session of Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s falsified documents case, a request was submitted from attorneys for 2024 GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump to miss a trial date to attend Supreme Court arguments on immunity claims.
The arguments on presidential immunity, raised in the January 6 case brought forth by special counsel Jack Smith, are set to be heard in the Supreme Court on April 25.
"Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal, and I can certainly appreciate why your client would want to be there, but a trial in New York Supreme Court … is also a big deal," Judge Juan Merchan said on Monday afternoon, according to the New York Post.
Merchan said that he would "see [Trump] here next week."
Attorneys for Trump also asked for Trump to be excused if any court proceedings end up being scheduled on Wednesdays, citing presidential campaign obligations. The case isn’t currently scheduled to run on Wednesdays due to Merchan’s prior obligations.
"President Trump is very busy in a campaign season. He’s here four days a week. The campaign has taken pains to schedule events on Wednesdays," Todd Blanche, an attorney for Trump, said.
"I can’t give you a blanket answer. Certainly for any proceeding that involves the jury, your client needs to be there," said Merchan.
During the first day of the trial, no jurors were selected.
According to Reuters, around half of the 96 potential jurors were dismissed after saying they could not impartially judge Trump.
Among the questions being asked to jurors is whether they have attended rallies in support or against Trump, if they have followed him on social media, use Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, as well as whether they belong to any anti-Trump groups such as Antifa.
Trump criticized Merchan on Monday evening for not allowing him to attend the Supreme Court hearing, writing, "In Addition to being prohibited from attending my son Barron’s High School Graduation, I have just learned that the highly biased Judge in the Soros “appointed” D.A. Alvin Bragg’s Witch Hunt Case, will not allow me to attend the historic PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY argument in front of The United States Supreme Court, on Thursday, April 25th (next week!)."
"This shows such great disdain and disrespect for our Nation’s Highest Court, especially for a topic so important as Presidential Immunity, without which our Country would never be the same!"
Outside the courtroom on Monday evening, Trump told reporters Merchan "thinks he’s superior, I guess, to the Supreme Court."
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