The criminal case against former President Donald Trump related to a hush money payment made to an adult film star will proceed on April 15th as scheduled after a New York judge denied Trump’s bid to delay the trial over new documents. The dispute arose over roughly 100,000 documents that federal prosecutors provided to the D.A.’s office, with Trump’s legal team accusing the office of misconduct for not obtaining and handing over the records sooner. The judge, Juan Merchan, ruled that the trial will begin on the set date, stating that the district attorney was not at fault for the late production of records.
Trump is facing charges of falsifying business records in connection to a payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election. Trump has denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the charges, dismissing the prosecution as a witch hunt. This case marks the first against a former president in U.S. history and is the first of four criminal prosecutions against Trump to go to trial. The trial will involve former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen as a key witness, who is cooperating with prosecutors.
The defense had requested a trial delay of up to three months or a dismissal of the case, claiming that the district attorney’s office deliberately failed to obtain the documents in a timely manner. However, prosecutors argued that they had requested the records last year, but the Justice Department initially declined to produce them. The documents, totaling over 100,000 pages, included bank records and emails related to the investigation into Cohen by the Justice Department. Defense attorneys claimed that thousands of records were relevant and requested more time to sift through them.
During the hearing, Judge Merchan questioned the defense’s allegation that the district attorney’s office deliberately failed to obtain the necessary documents and indicated that there were not significant factual disputes to resolve. The state’s obligation to produce documents to the defense, known as pretrial discovery, was discussed, with the prosecution stating that they made a good faith effort to provide relevant material. Merchan ultimately ruled that the district attorney was not at fault for the late production of records and set the jury selection to begin on April 15.
The case against Trump in New York is one of four legal challenges he is facing, including a state case in Georgia related to the 2020 election, and two federal cases involving his actions after the election defeat and handling of classified documents. Trump has maintained his innocence in all charges, alleging that he is being targeted for political reasons. The upcoming trial will be closely watched as it marks a historic moment in U.S. legal and political history. Trump’s denial of the charges and insistence on innocence sets the stage for a high-stakes legal battle that will shape his political future.
