(PartiallyPolitics.com) – On a recent Wednesday in New York, a judge decided against postponing the trial set for April 15 involving Donald Trump, connected to allegations about business documentation during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump’s request for a postponement hinged on his appeal for presidential immunity in a different legal matter, awaiting assessment by the U.S. Supreme Court, which is poised to deliberate on this on April 25. This immunity claim pertains to his actions seeking inquiry into purported fraud in the 2020 election.
Trump’s legal team, hoping to push back the New York trial until the Supreme Court’s review, argued that the case’s evidence would involve statements Trump made during his presidency, from 2017 to 2021. However, Justice Juan Merchan, overseeing the New York case, dismissed the request for delay, pointing out Trump’s delay in bringing up the immunity claim.
Trump, a Republican, set to contend against Biden in the upcoming November 5 election, has maintained his innocence across the four criminal charges he’s facing. Of these, the New York case may be the only one proceeding to trial before the election. The charges revolve around accusations of Trump manipulating business records to conceal a payment made by his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, to prevent her from discussing an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which Trump denies.
Furthermore, Trump has sought to delay the trial, suggesting that extensive media coverage might have prejudiced potential jurors against him. This point is still under consideration by Merchan. The prosecution, led by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, refuted this argument, noting that Trump’s own actions significantly contributed to the media attention and expressing confidence in filtering out prejudiced jurors during selection.
The Supreme Court’s agreement to hear Trump’s appeal in the federal case of election interference marks a significant, albeit temporary, victory for him, postponing the commencement of that trial. Additionally, Trump faces legal challenges in Georgia related to his attempts to contest the 2020 election outcome, and in Florida concerning his management of sensitive government documents post-presidency. These cases are also pending trial scheduling.
No former U.S. president has ever stood trial for criminal charges, marking these proceedings as unprecedented in American history.
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