Judge Merchan: Extraordinary Legal Protections Afforded By the Office of the Chief Executive Is a Factor That Overrides All Others

TRANSCRIPT:

MERCHAN: "The considerable, indeed extraordinary legal protections afforded by the office of the chief executive is a factor that overrides all others. To be clear, the protections afforded the office of the president are not a mitigating factor. They do not reduce the seriousness of the crime or justify its commission in any way. The protections are, however, a legal mandate which, pursuant to the rule of law, this court must respect and follow."