Chinese woman accused of Mar-a-Lago trespass set for trial

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The upcoming trial of a Chinese national on federal charges that she trespassed at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and lied to the Secret Service is potentially a circus wrapped in mystery.

Yujing Zhang fired her public defenders in June to act as her own attorney, a longshot move the 33-year-old Shanghai business consultant has struggled with during pretrial hearings setting up Monday’s scheduled jury selection.

Zhang often frustrates Judge Roy Altman by ignoring his questions or answering with non sequiturs. She sometimes replies in near-fluent English and insists she understands complex legal concepts, but will then say she doesn’t understand a simple question.

Prosecutors have also filed secret evidence, saying it concerns national security issues.

Zhang could get six years if convicted.