Former President Donald Trump’s defense in his criminal trial in New York has claimed a victory.
Judge Juan Merchan ruled that the “Access Hollywood” tape, where listeners can hear Trump’s view of women, would not be played for jurors in his trial regarding hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels, ABC News reported.
However, Merchan ruled testimony about the tape was admissible.
“Thus, the tape helps establish Defendant’s intent and motive for making the payment to Daniels and then attempting to conceal them,” the ruling said.
Also, Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, will be allowed to testify despite Trump’s plea to exclude him from testifying.
Trump argued that since Cohen has been known to lie, “calling him to the witness stand would amount to suborning perjury,” ABC reported.
“This Court has been unable to locate any treatise, statute or holding from courts in this jurisdiction or others that support defendant’s rational that a particular witness should be kept off the witness stand because his credibility has been previously called into question,” Merchan said.
Daniels will also be allowed to testify.
“Since she is the recipient of the $130,000 hush payment at the center of the case, (Merchan wrote), ‘The probative value of the evidence is evident,’” per ABC.
Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Prosecutors say Trump made hush money payments to his lawyer to reimburse him for paying Daniels to ensure her silence, ABC reported.
He also allegedly falsified “New York business records to cover up that alleged criminal conduct,” per ABC. These payments were made to enhance his chances of winning the 2016 presidential election.
Trump has pleaded not guilty. The trial has been delayed until “at least mid-April,” ABC reported.
