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Woman Arrested at Mar-a-Lago to Represent Self at Trial

Woman Arrested at Mar-a-Lago to Represent Self at Trial

In this artist sketch, a Chinese woman, Yujing Zhang, left, listens to a hearing on April 8 before federal Magistrate Judge William Matthewman in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Daniel Pontet via AP)

By    |   Tuesday, 11 June 2019 06:27 PM EDT

A Chinese woman arrested for trespassing at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort was allowed Tuesday to fire her attorneys and represent herself at her August trial.

U.S. District Court Judge Roy Altman in Florida told Yujing Zhang, however, that he had serious reservations about his decision, The Wall Street Journal reports.

"In my opinion, a trained lawyer would defend you far better than you can defend yourself," Altman said. "You are not familiar with the law. You are not familiar with court procedure."

But Zhang, 33, who was arrested at Mar-a-Lago in March with a bevy of electronics, insisted on proceeding. Altman ruled that she made her decision "freely and voluntarily."

At her arrest, Zhang was carrying two passports, four cellphones, nine USB drives allegedly carrying malware and a laptop, prosecutors say.

In her hotel room, Secret Service agents found a device for detecting hidden cameras and $8,000 in cash.

The case raised security questions at Mar-a-Lago and concerns about people trying to gain access to President Trump and White House officials without following standard protocols.

Zhang has pleaded not guilty to charges of lying to federal agent and illegally entering a restricted area. She has been denied bail.

Altman set an Aug. 19 trial date. Zhang faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison if convicted.

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A Chinese woman arrested for trespassing at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort was allowed Tuesday to fire her attorneys and represent herself at her August trial.
mar a lago, trump, arrest, yujin zhang, florida
218
2019-27-11
Tuesday, 11 June 2019 06:27 PM
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