New York: A New York judge has announced that the trial of former US President Donald Trump’s hush money case will commence on April 15, marking the initiation of his first criminal trial this spring. Despite Trump’s attempts to delay all four of his criminal cases beyond the election, Judge Juan Merchan rejected his requests during a recent hearing, ruling in favor of proceeding with the trial as planned.
Trump sought to have his case dismissed or delayed further, citing newly turned-over documents and accusing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of misconduct. However, Merchan dismissed these requests, emphasizing the prosecution’s compliance with discovery obligations. The trial’s jury selection is set to begin on April 15, as per the judge’s ruling.
The trial was originally slated to commence on Monday but faced a last-minute delay due to a disagreement over newly disclosed documents. The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York provided over 100,000 pages of records in recent weeks, leading to disputes between the involved parties regarding the timing of their disclosure.
During the hearing, Trump was accompanied by several lawyers, maintaining a composed demeanor while occasionally engaging in whispered discussions. Despite the delay, Trump reiterated his belief that the case was politically motivated, suggesting it was an attempt to hinder his involvement in the upcoming elections.
Charges Against Trump
Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to reimbursements to his former attorney, Michael Cohen, who paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 before the 2016 election to keep silent about an alleged affair with Trump. While Trump has admitted to the reimbursements, he denies the affair and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In court, Trump’s defense team and prosecutors clashed over the significance of the newly disclosed documents. Trump’s attorney claimed there were “thousands and thousands” of relevant records, while prosecutors estimated around 300. The defense argued that the prosecution should have provided these documents earlier to allow for adequate preparation, a point contested by the judge.
Judge Merchan expressed frustration with the defense’s accusations of prosecutorial misconduct, demanding evidence to support their claims. He emphasized the seriousness of such allegations and criticized the defense for lacking precedent to substantiate their position, highlighting the gravity of the accusations against the Manhattan DA’s office.