New York, New York – A New York appeals court has ruled against former President Donald Trump’s request to change the venue of his upcoming hush money trial, citing concerns over securing a fair jury in the state. This decision comes after Trump’s attorneys urged the court to postpone the trial to consider moving it to a different location to ensure impartial jurors.
Associate Justice Lizbeth González swiftly denied the motion to delay the trial after hearing arguments, emphasizing the need for the trial to proceed as planned. Trump’s legal team had filed the petition earlier in the day, just one week before the scheduled start of the trial in New York.
In addition to the request for a change of venue, Trump’s attorneys have also objected to a gag order imposed by the presiding judge, Juan Merchan. This order prohibits Trump from publicly discussing witnesses and individuals associated with the upcoming trial. However, this particular objection was not addressed during the recent court hearing.
During the appeals court hearing, Trump’s attorney, Emil Bove, presented a survey and media study to support their argument for a change of venue based on pretrial publicity. Despite their efforts, the judge has yet to rule on this motion, leaving the trial date unchanged.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Chief of Appeals, Steven Wu, contested the last-minute nature of Trump’s petition, asserting that the focus should be on ensuring an impartial jury selection process rather than relying on poll results. Wu argued that the case has garnered international attention and emphasized the importance of seating impartial jurors.
Despite claims of biased pretrial publicity, Wu maintained that the media coverage surrounding the case has been fairly balanced and does not warrant a change of venue. He highlighted the need to focus on the ability to select impartial jurors rather than relying on assumptions of bias.
Jury selection for the hush money trial is scheduled to commence on April 15, with the legal teams on both sides continuing to present their arguments before the court. The outcome of these proceedings will determine the direction of the trial as it moves forward.