Judge Juan Merchan has denied former President Donald Trump’s request to delay his criminal hush money trial in New York, which is set to begin on Monday. This decision is part of a series of rejections by the courts this week to stop Trump’s trial. Merchan issued an order on Friday rejecting Trump’s attorneys’ motion to delay the trial due to excessive pretrial publicity. The judge stated that an indefinite adjournment is not an acceptable remedy for Trump’s situation and that he is partly responsible for the circumstances he now finds himself in.
This latest ruling comes after Trump’s attorneys made the request to file the motion at a pretrial hearing last month. Merchan had already denied a similar attempt but allowed them to file the motion nonetheless. Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made before the 2016 election to an adult film star who alleged an affair with Trump a decade earlier. The former president has pleaded not guilty to these charges and has denied the affair. Jury selection for the trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, despite Trump’s efforts to delay the proceedings.
The judge’s decision to deny Trump’s motion for a delay further escalates the legal battle surrounding the former president’s criminal trial. Trump has been attempting to stop or delay the trial through various legal maneuvers, but the courts have consistently ruled against him. Merchan’s ruling underscores that Trump’s actions have contributed to the situation he is currently in, and that he cannot simply delay the trial indefinitely. Trump’s legal team has been fighting to postpone the trial due to concerns about pretrial publicity, but Merchan’s decision indicates that the trial will proceed as scheduled on Monday.
As Trump’s trial date approaches, the former president continues to maintain his innocence and deny any wrongdoing in the case. The charges against him stem from alleged falsification of business records related to hush money payments made to silence an adult film star who claimed to have had an affair with Trump. Despite the mounting legal challenges, Trump has remained steadfast in his plea of not guilty, and has consistently denied the allegations against him. The start of jury selection marks a critical juncture in the trial, as the events of the trial are set to unfold in the coming days.
The high-profile nature of Trump’s criminal trial has attracted significant attention from the media and the public, further intensifying the scrutiny on the former president. The trial has reignited debates about ethics, campaign finance laws, and the use of hush money in politics. Trump’s legal troubles have followed him since leaving office, and the upcoming trial represents a significant legal challenge for the former president. With jury selection set to begin on Monday, all eyes are on the courtroom as the trial gets underway. The outcome of this trial could have far-reaching implications for Trump’s future legal battles and political aspirations.
