LEE KRAMER'S ROOM: With Views

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A message to the attorneys in today's NY AD criminal trial - Please Please Please Please allow your client/defendant to testify in court during the trial. It would be a great move for the U.S. and Democracy!

What prosecutors can and can't ask Trump if he testifies

From CNN's Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle, and Jeremy Herb

If Donald Trump decides to testify in his criminal hush money trial, these are the cases Judge Juan Merchan will allow prosecutors to use to cross examine Trump:

Merchan will allow Trump to be cross examined on the civil fraud verdict that found he violated the law by fraudulently inflating the value of his properties and was ordered to pay more than $464 million in penalties, including interest.

The judge will also allow prosecutors to ask Trump about the two violations of Judge Arthur Engoron's gag order during the trial last fall, in which Trump was fined $15,000.

Prosecutors will be permitted to ask Trump about both E. Jean Carroll verdicts in federal court where juries found that Trump defamed her when he denied her rape allegations. Trump was ordered to pay $83.3 million for defaming Carroll.

And, Merchan is allowing prosecutors to elicit testimony from Trump about the settlement he reached with the New York attorney general that led to the dissolution of the Donald J. Trump Foundation.

This is what will not be allowed:

The judge is not allowing prosecutors to ask Trump about the ruling in Florida when the judge sanctioned Trump for filing a frivolous lawsuit against Hilary Clinton.
Merchan also ruled the 2022 Trump Organization tax fraud conviction is off limits for prosecutors if Trump testifies. As he issued his decision, Judge Merchan noted that the law gives a trial judge "wide range of discretion" in deciding what to allow to be used in cross-examination of a defendant.
Trump sat back in his chair and did not visibly react as the judge read his decision on Friday.

The ruling arrived after the judge held a routine hearing – called a Sandoval hearing – on Friday to address Trump’s criminal history and assess how much prosecutors could ask if he testifies. As a reminder, Trump told reporters outside the courtroom on Friday that he wants to testify.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-04-22-24/h_4dfd01653d2fa8953eb73980a426475b