FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JOINT STATEMENT OF THE HISPANIC BAR COALITION
CONDEMNING ATTACKS ON THE HON. JUAN MERCHAN
March 28, 2024 - The Presidents’ Council of the Hispanic Bar Coalition, comprised of the Presidents of the Dominican Bar Association; the Long Island Hispanic Bar Association; the Puerto Rican Bar Association, Latino Lawyers Association of Queens County, and the Hudson Valley Hispanic Bar Association condemns recent verbal and social media attacks on the Hon. Juan Merchan, the New York County Supreme Court Judge who is assigned to preside over People of the State of NY v. Donald J. Trump.
On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, Judge Merchan issued a gag order limiting the former President from making statements about potential witnesses, as well as attorneys, court staff or the family members of prosecutors in the criminal trial relating to hush money payments, scheduled to begin on April 15th. Former President Trump was previously barred from making statements about any potential or actual jurors.
Then, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, Former President Trump made several negative comments about Judge Merchan and his daughter. In a social media post, the former President suggested, without evidence, that Judge Juan M. Merchan was supporting his daughter’s interests as a Democratic political consultant, and he recklessly referred to her by name. He also made a claim — later repudiated by court officials — that she had posted a social media photo showing him behind bars. On the same day, Former President Trump targeted an individual prosecutor assigned to this case, referring to him as a “radical left from DOJ put into [ … ] the District Attorney’s Office to run the trial against Trump”
Former President Trump also attacked Judge Merchan, posting: “If the Biased and Conflicted Judge is allowed to stay on this Sham ‘Case,’ it will be another sad example of our Country becoming a Banana Republic.” Intentional or not, the racist undertone of the message is unacceptable. Similar statements in the past about those involved in this case and in the other pending court cases against Former President Trump have led to the individuals involved receiving death threats and hate mail.
Attacks of this nature against a presiding judge and his family have no place in civil society and are dangerous and reckless. The attacks create a harmful atmosphere that could lead to individuals taking more serious action against Trump’s targets as we have seen recently happen to members of the judiciary.
This Coalition previously issued a statement admonishing Former President Trump’s vitriol in April 2023. We again strongly condemn the former President’s continued use of reckless, inflammatory, violent, and racial language. Judge Merchan excluded himself and his family from the gag order he placed in the case, but that does not excuse these dangerous and false statements. We again call upon the lawyers representing him in this matter, Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles, to admonish their client and direct him to refrain from continued false, violent, and racist language. Judge Merchan is an excellent jurist with a impeccable reputation for fairness. We are confident that despite this angry rhetoric, all participants in the matter will receive a fair trial. While we recognize the right of any person to speak about matters of public concern like this trial, these false and inflammatory comments go too far and must come to an end.
The Presidents’ Council of the Hispanic Bar Coalition
Media inquiries: Oscar Michelen, Pres. LIHBA: LIHBAcontact@gmail.com and/or Doralba Lassalle Pres. Hudson Valley Hispanic Bar Assn.: hudsonvalleyhispanic@gmail.com
The full release may be downloaded here in ENGLISH or in SPANISH.
