Trump will face criminal proceedings in March, the first time against a former US president
A New York judge has rejected Donald Trump’s efforts to have a charge against him thrown out of hush-money payments to a porn star. This paves the way for the first criminal trial of a former US president, which is scheduled to begin on March 25, news agency Agence France Presse (AFP) reports.
Additionally, Trump’s representatives attended a separate hearing in Atlanta seeking to disqualify the lead prosecutor who brought charges of election fraud and racketeering against Trump.
The legal proceedings are one of four criminal cases the Republican frontrunner faces as he campaigns to reclaim the White House. Their legal teams are attempting to delay the actual hearing until after the November 5 vote.
Trump drew media attention on his legal challenges to energize his supporters and criticize Democratic rival Joe Biden, reiterating his belief that the charges were an effort to damage his electoral prospects.
“How can you run an election if you sit in a courthouse in Manhattan all day,” he expressed upon arrival, according to an AFP report.
During the hearing, Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump’s petition for dismissal or delay, and confirmed that jury selection would begin as scheduled in late March.
Trump’s legal team argued that he would not get a fair trial in New York because of a previous jury’s $83 million award to E. Jean Carroll, the author whom Trump has accused of sexual assault and defamation. The judge rejected this argument, along with claims from Trump’s lawyers regarding biased media coverage.
“Given all the information I have, we are moving forward with jury selection on March 25,” Judge Merchan said, according to an AFP report. Trump, wearing his trademark red tie and dark suit, looked uneasy during the proceedings.
The former president is charged with 34 counts of accounting fraud related to payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors allege that Trump illegally concealed payments to his lawyer Michael Cohen to silence stories about Trump’s alleged extramarital affairs.
In Atlanta, Trump’s lawyers also represent him in a case where he is accused of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. The purpose of the hearing was to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis because of her alleged relationship with another prosecutor.
Trump’s legal challenges could continue on Friday, with a possible verdict in his civil fraud lawsuit, where he is accused of inflating property values. In this case, they could face a payout of up to $370 million and a ban on doing business in New York state. Additionally, another potential lawsuit in Washington alleges a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.
Trump has used these legal battles to strengthen harassment claims as he seeks to return to the White House. The secret money case dates back to the final days of the 2016 election when Trump won an unexpected victory against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. A New York grand jury indicted Trump in March 2023 over payments he made to porn star Stormy Daniels, and the trial is scheduled to begin in March 2024.