Former US President Trump has suffered a new defeat in court. An appeals court has refused to delay the trial in connection with hush money payments to a porn actress.
Former US President Donald Trump has failed in his attempt to have the April 15 start of his criminal trial postponed due to alleged hush money payments. This was decided by a New York appeals court.
Further delays were not justified, ruled Judge Juan M. Merchan, who had already postponed the start of the trial, which was originally scheduled for March 25, because of the evidence. Trump’s lawyers had argued at an emergency hearing that the trial should be postponed while they sought a change of venue.
Trial in democratic New York
The Republican Trump feels disadvantaged in the New York district of Manhattan, which is politically dominated by Democrats. Trump defense attorney Emil Bove said the presumptive Republican presidential nominee faces “potential prejudice” as a defendant in Manhattan.
Citing polls conducted by the legal team and an analysis of media coverage, Bove claims that jury selection, which is scheduled to begin next Monday, “cannot be done in a fair manner.” Trump himself has suggested on social networks that the trial should be moved to Staten Island – the only New York borough that he won in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
Steven Wu, chief of the appeals division of the Manhattan district attorney’s office, countered: “The question in this case is not whether a random survey of New Yorkers from any neighborhood can be impartial, but whether a court is able to seat a jury of twelve to select an impartial jury.” He accused Trump of “inflaming the publicity ahead of the trial.”
First of four criminal proceedings
The hush money trial is the first of four criminal trials that the former president will face. The indictment against Trump was brought by a grand jury. They accused him of falsifying business documents related to a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
His former lawyer Michael Cohen paid her $130,000 for her silence about a sexual encounter with Trump. According to her account, this is said to have taken place in 2006. Trump has denied having a sexual encounter with the woman – real name Stephanie Clifford. However, he admitted to reimbursing Cohen for his payment to her.