Trump lawyer 'concerned' about 'negative impact on jury' from ex-president's latest move
Donald Trump's desire to have more visible support at his criminal trial in New York might cause him to walk away with a guilty verdict, according to a lawyer who has represented Trump and other MAGA-world figures.
Tim Parlatore, who represented Trump in his criminal documents case and continues to be on good terms with the former president, appeared on CNN on Saturday to discuss Trump's criminal case in which he stands accused of a scheme to cover-up hush money payments to an adult film star for the purposes of affecting the 2016 election. Trump has denied all wrongdoing, as well as the affair at the heart of the criminal allegations.
The host raised the issue of Trump inviting various right-wing lawmakers to attend his trial.
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Parlatore responded by suggesting he tells his clients "that when it comes to a criminal trial, there are only 12 opinions that matter, and yours is not one of them."
"And so what impact is that going to have on the 12 people in the box?" he asks himself. "I am concerned that by parading these figures in and out, that that would have a negative impact on the jury."
"I know that there was an incident where a couple of members of congress came in, yeah, not during a break and they were somewhat disruptive and the judge was looking angrily down," he said on Saturday. "That's the kind of thing that jurors notice."
He went on to say the coordinated appearances are "not something that I would be encouraging."
"But whether the jury actually take something from that or if they just kinda set it aside... juries are funny things."