Washington, DC – Former President Donald Trump’s request to delay his trial in New York has been denied by a judge. The trial, related to a “hush money” payment made to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, was set to begin on April 15. Trump had sought to postpone the trial until after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on his claim of presidential immunity in another case.
Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump’s last-minute bid, stating that the request was untimely and that Trump’s lawyers had ample opportunities to raise the issue earlier. Merchan highlighted that pre-trial motions should have been filed within 45 days of arraignment, noting that Trump waited until just 17 days before the scheduled trial date to file the motion.
In this case, Trump faces 34 felony counts related to falsification of business records tied to payments made to his former attorney, Michael Cohen, who in turn paid $130,000 to Daniels. Trump denies any wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trial, originally set for March 25, was delayed due to a dispute over document production by federal prosecutors.
During a recent hearing, Merchan commended prosecutors for exceeding their requirements, questioning the necessity of further delays. Trump is concurrently facing criminal cases in Florida, Washington, DC, and Georgia, relating to mishandling of classified documents, election interference, and attempting to overturn the 2020 election, respectively.
As Trump continues to face legal challenges, his bid for the White House remains underway. The Supreme Court is deliberating on the immunity issue in his DC case, which has been put on hold. Despite the multiple legal battles, Trump maintains his plea of not guilty across all charges.