NEW YORK — The judge in Donald Trump's hush money case denied a second request from defense attorneys to declare a mistrial over porn actor Stormy Daniels' testimony, which concluded Thursday.
Judge Juan M. Merchan, echoing his denial Tuesday of the defense's initial mistrial motion, said Trump's lawyers had ample opportunities to object to questions that elicited what they said were damaging details about the alleged sexual encounter between the former president and Daniels.
Daniels spent roughly 7 1/2 hours on the stand over two days. The porn actor recounted, among other things, the alleged 2006 sexual encounter with the former president that she was eventually paid to keep quiet about during the 2016 presidential election.
The former president's attorneys aggressively sought to poke holes in Daniels' credibility during cross-examination accusing her of trying to extort Trump, rehearsing her testimony and changing her story over the years — all things she forcefully denied.
Trump denies the two ever had sex.
Also on Thursday, defense attorneys asked New York's mid-level appeals court on Wednesday to expedite a decision on Trump's gag order appeal.
The court did not take immediate action but set deadlines for court filings in the next two weeks.
Prosecutors say Trump and two of his associates orchestrated a scheme to influence the 2016 election by purchasing and then burying stories that might damage his campaign.