![Elizabeth Williams Judge Juan Merchan presides over Donald Trump's trial in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/9ded0ac466ac4cff83167e48485b4d12/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Judge Juan Merchan presides over Donald Trump's trial in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
![Doug Mills Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, Friday,, May 3, 2024. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/976be487fc6248679919cf722f8145ec/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, Friday,, May 3, 2024. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
![Seth Wenig FILE - Judge Juan M. Merchan poses in his chambers in New York, March 14, 2024. Merchan is the judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial. He was also the judge in the Trump Organization's tax fraud trial in 2022 and is overseeing a border wall fraud case against longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/95fd94fdfda34018924fcc79467ec3b5/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE - Judge Juan M. Merchan poses in his chambers in New York, March 14, 2024. Merchan is the judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial. He was also the judge in the Trump Organization's tax fraud trial in 2022 and is overseeing a border wall fraud case against longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
![Doug Mills Former President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan criminal court in New York, on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/2ca1e5ff5bec448ba6a2d8a7d6d130c6/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Former President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan criminal court in New York, on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)