Washington — The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York has rejected his last-minute attempt to delay the start of the trial until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the request of Trump’s presidential immunity.
Trump had request to push back the start date of his trial, which is linked to a “hush money” payment made by a Trump lawyer to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, until the Court supreme court decides on the question of whether he is protected from criminal prosecution. prosecution under “presidential immunity” in another of his criminal cases. The trial is expected to start on April 15.
Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan rejected the request Wednesday, saying it was “untimely” and that Trump’s lawyers had months to raise the issue before the motion was filed in March.
“This Court finds that Defendant had a multitude of opportunities to raise his claim for presidential immunity well before March 7, 2024,” Merchan wrote. “Defendant could have done so in his September 29, 2023, omnibus motions, which were filed just six days before he addressed the same issue in his federal insurrection case and several months after he filed his motion in revocation before the Federal Court on May 4, 2023.”
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments reimbursing his then-lawyer Michael Cohen, who paid the adult film star. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing.
Grub5
