Acting New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has ruled in favor of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in the dispute over postponing the trial for former President Donald Trump’s felony hush money case.
Judge Merchan decided on Friday to postpone the trial for a period of 30 days, a decision that Bragg had already expressed his agreement with. The legal team representing Trump had initially requested a 90-day delay or the dismissal of the trial.
Judge Merchan ruled on Friday to delay the trial by 30 days, a decision that Bragg had previously expressed his support for. Trump’s legal team had asked for a 90-day postponement or dismissal of the trial.
As the presumed GOP nominee in the forthcoming 2024 presidential election, Trump has been actively campaigning, despite the slow progress of his other three criminal cases.
Steven Cheung, the Trump Campaign Communications Director, reiterated allegations of misconduct by Bragg in a statement given to Newsweek. Cheung also expressed his belief that the 30-day delay was insufficient and argued that Merchan should have chosen to dismiss the alleged hoax instead.
In an email statement, Cheung, representing President Trump and his counsel, reiterated their unwavering stance that the case lacks legal and factual grounds and should be dismissed. They remain committed to fighting against what they perceive as a baseless accusation, along with other investigations allegedly orchestrated by Joe Biden. The objective is to put an end to what they consider to be politically motivated witch hunts.
On Friday, the office of Bragg was contacted by Newsweek for comment via email.
In a court filing on Thursday, Bragg stated that his office is ready to proceed with the trial as planned. However, he expressed willingness to consider a 30-day delay if it allows the defense to thoroughly review the extensive materials related to the case. Bragg firmly asserted that there are no grounds to dismiss the charges against Trump.
Trump’s team has requested a longer delay or a dismissal in response to allegations that Bragg actively worked against President Trump’s access to essential materials. Bragg’s office has already released over 100,000 pages of documents to Trump’s lawyers and contends that any challenges encountered were a result of the defendant’s own delays.
In a letter footnote addressed to Merchan on Friday, Trump’s team expressed their concerns about the 30-day delay, stating that it would coincide with Passover and potentially hinder the participation of observant Jews as jurors. Additionally, they pointed out that the new schedule may clash with Trump’s federal documents trial in Florida, which is likely to be postponed for several months.
Bragg accused the ex-president of committing 34 felony counts last year. The charges involved the alleged falsification of business records, with the aim of hiding payments made to former adult film star Stephanie Clifford, who is also known as Stormy Daniels. These payments were said to have occurred during the ex-president’s initial presidential campaign.
Former President Trump, amidst ongoing legal challenges, has vehemently denied any involvement in an affair with Clifford and maintains his innocence in all the criminal charges against him. Preceding the official announcement of his 2024 candidacy, Trump has consistently asserted that these legal troubles are a result of a “witch hunt” orchestrated by the Democrats, which he perceives as a form of “election interference.”
The New York trial, originally set to commence on March 25, has experienced a delay. However, it remains anticipated as the inaugural criminal trial involving Trump and the first to charge the former president with crimes.
The trial for hush money is estimated to continue for approximately six weeks. If Trump were to win the November election and return to the White House, he might be able to pardon himself for any federal convictions. However, his pardon power would not extend to state crimes in New York or Georgia if he were to be convicted.
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