Trump’s New York hush-money trial to proceed without delay, set for March 25
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Former President Donald Trump and his defense lawyers were denied a delay in the New York hush-money case on Thursday by New York Judge Juan Manuel Merchan. The trial is scheduled for March 25 and is expected to last about six weeks.
This will be the first of the four criminal indictments Trump has been accused of to go to trial. The case brought on by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stems from a payment of $130,000 that was sent to actress Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign by his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Todd Blanche, Trump’s lawyer in the case, said going forward with the current trial date is a “great injustice” and “election interference” due to the other criminal cases the former president is dealing with along with the presidential primaries taking place in March, according to NBC News.
“Before the hearing finished, Blanche again objected to the trial date, complaining his client ‘will spend the next two months preparing for this trial during a campaign. It is just not something that should happen in this country,’” NBC News added.
“See you March 25th,” Merchan replied.
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Following the hearing Thursday, Trump denied any wrongdoing and posted to Truth Social emphasizing that he believes the case is politically motivated:
“Just left the Courthouse in Manhattan. Biden’s DOJ people have taken control of the case. There was NO CRIME, and almost all legal scholars are saying that. It’s Election Interference, the Dems 2024 way of cheating!”
Trump and his defense team have asked to have Merchan removed from the case. The Associated Press reported that Trump “sought to move the case from state court to federal court. ... Merchan has acknowledged making several small donations to Democrats, including $15 to Trump’s rival (Joe) Biden, but said he’s certain of his ‘ability to be fair and impartial.’”
Meanwhile, Trump’s trial concerning classified documents is scheduled for May 20 in Florida, and there is no scheduled trial date for the election interference case in Georgia. The case in Washington, D.C., which also accuses him of interfering in the election, was postponed last month. The Supreme Court is currently considering the issue of immunity, and a new date has not yet been set.
