Judge in Trump business records case previously worked for the former president

Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who will decide if former President Donald Trump's Manhattan criminal case is moved to the federal level, previously worked for the Trump organization as a private practice lawyer.

Hellerstein was a partner at the law firm Stroock & Stroock & Lavan and worked on matters for the Trump-Equitable Fifth Avenue, which owned Trump tower in Manhattan.

Hellerstein shot down any concerns about his impartiality by saying, "In my opinion, my impartiality cannot reasonably be questioned, and no appearance of impropriety exists."

Considering Hellerstein retired from the firm in 1998, it seems unlikely that there will be any real effect on Trump's case. Hellerstein is set to make a decision on whether to move Trump's case or not on June 27th.

Trump is looking to move his case to the federal level where his legal team believes they can get a fair trial. Manhattan is simply too liberal for the former president to get an impartial jury that will make a decision based on the law as opposed to its members' own beliefs.

If Trump can't get his case moved, it will be much more difficult to defeat the 34 counts of falsifying business records that he is facing.