New York, NY – A Manhattan judge has set the start date for the first of Donald Trump’s four criminal trials on April 15. The judge criticized the former president’s lawyers for baseless claims of prosecutorial misconduct in the hush-money case. Despite the defense’s efforts to delay or dismiss the case, the trial is scheduled to proceed in just three weeks. This trial marks an inauspicious return for Trump to the city of his upbringing and business success, where he now faces criminal charges related to payments made during his 2016 campaign to cover up allegations of marital infidelity.
The trial had been in limbo due to a dispute over nearly 200,000 pages of evidence from a previous federal investigation. Trump’s lawyers accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office of withholding evidence to gain an unfair advantage. However, the judge rebuked these claims, stating that prosecutors were not obligated to collect evidence from the federal probe. He dismissed accusations of prosecutorial misconduct, emphasizing the need for proper legal precedence to support such assertions.
Despite the defense’s arguments for delaying the trial, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo stated that only a small number of new documents were relevant. Trump’s lawyers contended that thousands of pages required thorough review, leading to the request for dismissal or a three-month delay. The DA’s office denied any wrongdoing, attributing the time constraint to the defense’s delayed subpoena for records from the U.S. attorney’s office.
Following the ruling, Trump expressed dissatisfaction, labeling the case as “election interference.” Meanwhile, the trial date coincided with a New York appeals court decision to temporarily halt the collection of a $454 million civil fraud judgment against Trump, pending a $175 million payment within ten days. These legal battles highlight New York’s significance as a focal point of Trump’s legal challenges, with multiple prosecutions underway.
The upcoming trial will involve jury selection, a challenging task given the case’s high-profile nature and Trump’s controversial reputation in predominantly Democratic Manhattan. Trump has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records, a charge carrying a potential prison sentence. Despite his claims of innocence and denunciation of the case as a “witch hunt,” prosecutors maintain that Trump orchestrated illicit payments to conceal damaging revelations.
The ongoing legal saga underscores the gravity of Trump’s legal troubles, with the hush-money case representing just one facet of a complex legal battle. As Trump faces mounting challenges in the justice system, the trial’s outcome remains uncertain, with implications for his political future and personal reputation. Regardless of the verdict, Trump’s legal woes in New York continue to unfold, with broader ramifications for his legacy and public perception.