Donald Trump's attempt to delay his hush-money trial, scheduled for April 15, in Manhattan was shot down by a New York appeals court in one single sentence on Monday.
The judge, Lizbeth Gonzalez, heard arguments from Trump's lawyers and representatives from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for and against pausing the trial and moving it to another location, as requested by the former president. Trump's lawyer argued that Manhattan was heavily Democratic and a majority of its residents believe the former president is guilty, citing a survey.
Gonzalez issued a decision shortly after the hearing ended on Monday, writing: "Defendant's application for a stay of trial, pursuant to CPL § [section] 230.30, pending the determination of defendant's motion for change of venue, is denied."
The decision, pictured in a MeidasTouch report, doesn't offer more information about Gonzalez's reasoning for denying Trump's lawyers' requests. Newsweek has contacted Trump's legal team for comment Tuesday morning, outside of regular office hours.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a recess in a hearing to determine the date of his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments in New York City on March 25, 2024. Trump's lawyers'... Former President Donald Trump speaks during a recess in a hearing to determine the date of his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments in New York City on March 25, 2024. Trump's lawyers' request to change the location of the trial was rejected by an appeals court. More BRENDAN MCDERMID/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Lawyer, law professor and journalist Harry Litman, senior legal affairs columnist for The Los Angeles Times, commented on the one-sentence decision writing on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Appellate division judge denies Trump attempt to delay trial in one sentence unsigned order. Doesn't even refer it to a panel. He is flailing and embarrassing himself within the legal system."
The trial, which could be the only one of the four criminal cases against the former president to start this year, is now expected to begin on April 15.
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, is likely to try to postpone all of the four trials until after the November election, considering that, if he wins, he could bring them to a halt and ask the Justice Department to drop some of the charges against him.
The Manhattan case stems from alleged hush-money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who has said she had an affair with Trump, ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors say the former president's company falsified its own business record to hide the transaction.
Trump, who's facing 34 felony counts in relation to this case, pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Judge Gonzalez's decision on Monday won't end the former president's attempts to delay the hush-money case in New York. His lawyers have already indicated that they're preparing to sue Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the case, to overturn a gag order he imposed on Trump to prevent him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors and the judge's family.
Trump has accused Merchan of being biased because his daughter has worked for a Democratic consulting firm that worked on President Joe Biden's campaign in 2020; he has also asked the judge to recuse himself from the case.
Litman commented on this expected lawsuit on X, describing it as "desperate." He wrote: "Trump's latest desperate move of personally suing Merchan in the appellate division is reminiscent of his initial gambit in Palm Beach [Florida], where judge [Aileen] Cannon permitted him to take the whole action off track."
Cannon is overseeing Trump's classified documents case in Florida, in which Trump has also pleaded not guilty. Cannon was appointed to the bench by Trump during his presidency in 2020 and was chosen last year to oversee the documents case. Since then, she has routinely been criticized by observers and legal experts for making decisions in the proceedings that defy precedent and benefit the former president.
tdclark23 on April 9th, 2024 at 12:24 UTC »
If he didn't like Manhattan prospective jurors, he should have committed his crime elsewhere.
HellaTroi on April 9th, 2024 at 12:01 UTC »
"Trump has accused Merchan of being biased because his daughter has worked for a Democratic consulting firm that worked on President Joe Biden's campaign in 2020; he has also asked the judge to recuse himself from the case"
How many times has Alito or Thomas recused themselves in decisions where they or one of their benefactors interests are involved?
BeowulfShaeffer on April 9th, 2024 at 11:13 UTC »
"Defendant's application for a stay of trial, pursuant to CPL § [section] 230.30, pending the determination of defendant's motion for change of venue, is denied.”