Trump’s motion to delay criminal hush money case denied by Judge Juan Merchan in New York
Judge Juan Merchan has denied former President Donald Trump’s motion to delay his criminal trial in New York until the Supreme Court rules on the issue of presidential immunity. Trump has attempted to use this argument in all of his criminal trials, but Merchan ruled the request as untimely, stating that Trump had ample opportunities to raise the issue well before filing the motion on March 7, 2024. The trial is now set to begin on April 15 as scheduled.
The criminal charges against Trump involve allegations of falsifying business records related to payments made to his former attorney, Michael Cohen, in 2017. Prosecutors claim that the payments were actually hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an affair she says she had with Trump. Trump has argued that he is shielded by presidential immunity in all four of his criminal cases, including this hush money case. This concept of presidential immunity is legally untested, and prosecutors have pushed back on it, leading to a court battle on the matter.
In the hush money case, Trump has claimed that presidential immunity would prevent certain evidence from being used at trial, particularly statements he made in 2018 that allegedly show his involvement in a pressure campaign on Cohen. The issue of presidential immunity is expected to be a key focus of Trump’s defense strategy. The Justice Department has previously maintained that a sitting president cannot be criminally indicted, but Trump’s legal team argues that presidential duties while in office are also protected from future prosecution. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on this issue on April 25 and will issue a decision before its term ends in late June.
In addition to denying Trump’s motion to delay the trial, Judge Merchan also expanded a gag order against the former president, prohibiting him from publicly commenting on the families of the court. This decision came after Trump made repeated negative remarks about Merchan and his daughter on the social media platform Truth Social. The ongoing legal battles and restrictions on Trump’s public comments add another layer of complexity to the high-profile case. As the trial date approaches, all eyes will be on the Supreme Court’s ruling on the issue of presidential immunity and how it may impact Trump’s defense strategy in the criminal hush money case.
