The judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal trial denied on Tuesday a mistrial request by Trump's lawyer, who argued the day's testimony by porn performer Stormy Daniels about a 2006 encounter was irrelevant and would only inflame the jury.
“How can we come back from this in a way that’s fair to President Trump?” Blanche said.
Justice Juan Merchan said he agreed there were some elements of Daniels' testimony that would have been better left unsaid.
"I think the witness was a little bit difficult to control," he said. "I don’t think we’re at the point where a mistrial is warranted."
The motion came after several hours of riveting testimony by Daniels, who told the jury about the alleged sexual encounter with Trump and a $130,000 payment she secured to keep quiet when he ran for president in 2016.
© 2024 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.