Trump pushes for trial delay and venue change in New York criminal case

On Monday, former President Donald Trump made last-minute efforts to delay his New York criminal trial date. Trump requested that an appellate court change the trial’s location and make changes to his gag order put into place last month by Judge Juan Merchan, who is ruling over the hush money case.

“The documents are not public, but in an online court database, they appear under the headers ‘change of venue’ and ‘stay,’” according to CBS News. “Documents for an appeal related to a criminal proceeding are initially sealed while they’re reviewed for sensitive information.”

A judge from New York’s Appellate Division is set to listen to oral arguments Monday regarding Trump’s objection to the location of his criminal trial in New York and the recently broadened gag order that now includes the judge’s and district attorney Alvin Bragg’s family.

The trial date is currently set for April 15, but that could change. “A single appeals court judge will most likely issue a preliminary ruling on Monday, setting up a full five-judge panel to consider Mr. Trump’s request in the coming days,” per The New York Times.

Bragg’s lawsuit against Trump accuses the 2024 presidential candidate of altering business records related to a payment meant to stop adult film star Stormy Daniels from disclosing information. The payment was arranged by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, during the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

“Trump’s lawyers have tried several times to delay the trial, but this is their first attempt in an appeals court. The former president, who is again the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is aiming to push all four of his criminal cases past Election Day,” The New York Times added. “If he wins, the cases are likely to grind to a halt.”