(PartiallyPolitics.com) – New York City Judge Juan Merchan denied former President Donald Trump’s motion to have the criminal charges in the case relating to a hush-money payment he had made ahead of the 2016 presidential election dismissed.
Instead, the judge announced that jury selection in the trial which is a result of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation is set to start on March 25. He further noted that he expected that the trial was going to end after 6 weeks.
In April Bragg was indicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. However, the former President has maintained he has committed no wrongdoings and he has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
However, despite Trump’s and his legal team’s attempts to have the case entirely dismissed, Judge Merchan denied the request.
Prior to entering the courtroom, Trump told reporters that Bragg was responsible for the increasing crime in New York City. He added that the case against him was an attempt at election interference and that he had not been brought here because he had committed any crimes. He then pointed out that instead of being in court in New York he should have been in South Carolina campaigning ahead of the Feb. 24 primary election.
The trial in New York City is scheduled to take place only two days after the primary in Louisiana, and a few days before the primary races in Delaware, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, New York, and Connecticut.
The charges relate to a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels dating back to 2016. In 2019, federal prosecutors in New York’s Southern District determined that Trump should not be charged because of these payments.
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