New York: Donald Trump will become the first former US president to stand trial on criminal charges after a New York judge denied his request to dismiss an indictment stemming from hush money paid to a porn star and set a March 25 trial date.
The upcoming trial marks a significant development in a case revolving around long standing allegations that Trump attempted to suppress reports of extramarital affairs that emerged during his 2016 presidential bid. This trial represents the initial progression among the four criminal prosecutions facing Trump. Additional charges include accusations of conspiring to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election and unlawfully retaining classified documents at his Florida residence.
In leaving the trial date intact, Judge Juan Manuel Merchan took advantage of a delay in the separate prosecution in Washington related to efforts to undo the election.
Noting that he resisted defence lawyer urgings from months ago to postpone the trial, Merchan said: “I’m glad I took that position because here we are — the D.C. case did not go forward.” The hush money trial is expected to last up to six weeks, the judge said.
Assuming the New York case proceeds as planned, it is slated to commence shortly after the Super Tuesday elections, coinciding with a critical juncture on the political calendar. During this time, Trump will be actively seeking to solidify his position in the Republican race and establish himself as the presumptive nominee in the upcoming presidential contest.
Speaking to .reporters, Trump asserted that the case was being brought to hurt him politically and would interfere with his campaigning. “How can you run for election if you’re sitting in a courthouse in Manhattan all day long? I’m supposed to be in South Carolina now,” he said. In fact, Trump has repeatedly attended court proceedings where his presence was not required