JUST IN: President Trump Seeks Rare Legal Move In NY Trial

Today was the first day of the ‘hush money’ trial in New York, and President Trump has already made an interesting, calculated move.

In an unusual maneuver, Trump is requesting to personally join sidebar discussions.

Typically, these are private, off-the record conversations between the judge and attorneys. They often contain sensitive or intimate information that they don’t want the jury or public to hear.

CNN had this to say about sidebars during the hush money trial:

The historic trial of former President Donald Trump is expected to include a lot of objections and sidebars, sources told CNN chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid.

Sidebar conversations are usually issues that attorneys want to resolve outside the presence of the jury or potential jurors, Reid explained. They are usually sensitive issues that could be related to evidence being brought up.

In this case, the defense are using sidebars because they are focused on preserving every issue for appeal, according to Reid.

Instead of having his lawyers do it for him, President Trump wants to participate in every sidebar himself.

It is extremely rare for a defendant in a case to do this. Traditionally, only attorneys attend sidebar conversations.

As part of jury selection, the judge can also use sidebars to ask potential jurors personal questions.

If Trump’s request is granted, this would put him in close proximity with the prospective jurors and allow him to hear information that will not be openly given in court.

Check it out:

NEW: Trump Attempts Rare Legal Maneuver During Trial
As Donald Trump’s hush money trial progresses in a New York courtroom, the former president is seeking an unconventional legal strategy by requesting to participate personally in sidebar conversations, a move rarely seen from… pic.twitter.com/V8GcBmhaCC

— Did I Piss You Off? (@DIPYOMUCH) April 15, 2024

“Trump wants to go up to every sidebar, if the judge has a one-on-one discussion with … the prospective jurors as they are asked more intimate questions.”

— CNN's @KaraScannell on Trump's unusual move, seeking to join the sidebars during jury selection pic.twitter.com/AwAvmoKIgS

— The Recount (@therecount) April 15, 2024

It is unclear at this time whether or not the judge will grant President Trump’s request to personally join sidebars.

The Recount reported:

Donald Trump reportedly sought to join sidebars — an unusual move for a defendant in a courtroom — in order to be in “close proximity” to prospective jurors as they are asked “more intimate questions” during the Day One selection process for his hush money criminal trial in New York on Monday.

Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of a hush money scheme to bury stories that he feared could hurt his presidential campaign in 2016. He is the first former president to ever stand trial on criminal charges.