Judge who would hear case against Trump presided over Trump Organization trial

If a Manhattan grand jury indicts former president Donald Trump for allegedly falsifying business records, the judge set to hear the case will already be plenty familiar with the ex-president’s eponymous real estate, hotel and brand licensing operation.

According to multiple reports, the New York jurist whose docket would be weighed down with the case against Mr Trump is New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan. In the New York State court system, the Supreme Court is the primary trial court, while the final appellate court — the equivalent of a state supreme court — is called the New York Court of Appeals.

Justice Merchan is the Manhattan judge whose courtroom saw the trial of two of Mr Trump’s companies on tax fraud charges last year. The companies were found guilty by a jury and fined the maximum $1.6m as punishment.

Mr Merchan also oversaw the case against Mr Trump’s longtime accountant and former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg. Welsselberg was the state’s star witness at the company’s trial, and is currently serving a five-month jail term at Riker’s Island.

The judge is also assigned to preside over a case involving a former adviser to Mr Trump, ex-White House Chief Strategist turned podcast host Steve Bannon.

Mr Bannon is facing state fraud charges stemming from his effort to raise funds for a private wall along the US-Mexico border, funds he allegedly pocketed and used for personal expenses. He was pardoned from similar federal wire fraud charges by Mr Trump on the last day of his term.