by - The New York judge handling Donald Trump’s criminal case has received death threats, a source said.
- New York Supreme Justice Juan Merchan has received multiple threats over the past week, the source said.
- Trump targeted Merchan and his family in verbal and online attacks on his impeachment day on Tuesday.
The New York judge handling former President Donald Trump’s “hush-money” criminal case has faced continued death threats and harassment in recent days, Insider has learned.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has received multiple threats over the past week – before and after Trump’s historic impeachment on Tuesday for a 34-count indictment in a Manhattan courthouse, a person familiar with the situation told Insider on Thursday.
There have been “a number” of harassing calls and emails to Merchan’s courthouse chambers for more than a week, the source said.
A spokesperson for New York’s Office of Courts Management told Insider in a statement Thursday that there continues to be an enhanced security presence “in and around” state courthouses.
“Over the past few weeks, we have continued to assess security issues and potential threats and have maintained an increased security presence in and around courthouses and throughout the justice system and will adjust protocols as necessary,” said justice system spokesman Lucian Chalfen.
Chalfen added that the state court system has a Judicial Threat Unit “with offices inside and outside New York City where judges can report harassment, threats, inappropriate contact, etc.”
“These reports are being investigated and appropriate action taken,” Chalfen said.
Shortly before Trump was arraigned this week on 34 counts of falsifying business records, he posted about Merchan on his Truth Social app, saying in a rant in all caps: “Judge VERY SUPPORTIVE AND HIS FAMILY ARE WELL KNOWN TRUMP HATERS.”
“HE HAS BEEN AN UNFAIR DISASTER ON A PREVIOUS TRUMP-RELATED CASE, WILL NOT RECUSE, GAVE HORRIBLE INSTRUCTIONS TO JURY AND IMPOSSIBLE TO HANDLE DURING WITCH HUNT TRIAL,” Trump railed.
The former president even verbally attacked Merchan and his family hours after the judge warned Trump during his impeachment not to make remarks that could endanger others.
“That’s where we are right now. I have a judge who hates Trump, with a wife and family who hate Trump, whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris and now receives campaign money Biden-Harris,” Trump said on a Tuesday night. speech at his resort town of Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Hours earlier, Merchan had told Trump in court, “Please refrain from making comments or engaging in conduct that may incite violence, create civil unrest, or jeopardize the safety or well-being of be of anyone.”
A spokesperson for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider on Thursday.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who ultimately won Trump’s indictment by a grand jury, has also been the target of a wave of harassing calls and received multiple death threats against him in recent weeks. as Insider previously reported.
The Democratic district attorney — whom Trump has verbally attacked and called “crazy” and a “danger” to the country — continues to receive threats, a source familiar with the matter told Insider on Thursday.
