New York (Washington Insider Magazine)— Former President Donald Trump’s bid to delay his upcoming trial on hush-money charges was denied Wednesday by a New York judge. The trial, involving allegations of falsified business records linked to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, will proceed as scheduled on April 15.
Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump’s motion, which hinged on a claim of presidential immunity tied to a separate case. Trump’s legal team had requested an indefinite delay, pending a U.S. Supreme Court review of his immunity claim in a Washington D.C. federal case related to election interference.
Merchan criticized Trump’s lawyers for raising the immunity argument only weeks before jury selection, despite earlier opportunities to address the issue.
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, before the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
The trial marks the first criminal prosecution of a former U.S. president. The case has drawn significant attention, as Merchan recently expanded a gag order against Trump to prevent inflammatory comments about the judge’s family members following targeted attacks.
Despite the order, Trump remains free to criticize the judge and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the charges. The trial is expected to further intensify political and legal scrutiny ahead of the 2024 election.
