On Monday evening, a judge in New York denied Trump’s request for a delay in his hush money trial. Trump’s attorneys argued for the trial to be relocated from Manhattan and postponed as they pursue the matter. (RELATED: Trump Team Files Last-Ditch Effort To Avert First Criminal Trial)
His attorneys argued that Manhattan, a well-known liberal bastion, was not an appropriate location for the Republican president’s case. They requested a change of venue to Staten Island, the only borough in New York City that Trump won in both 2016 and 2020.
Judge Lizbeth González disagreed.
The Hill reports:
In the meantime, Trump’s trial — scheduled to begin with jury selection April 15 — should be paused, the lawyers argued. It’s slated to be his first criminal trial and the first criminal trial of any former U.S. president.
Trump’s lawyers asked González to issue an emergency stay, which would have postponed the trial indefinitely. She declined to do so.
The hush money trial has already faced delays due to a last-minute document dump; it was originally scheduled to begin on March 25.
Lawyers with the Manhattan district attorney’s office pointed to Judge Juan Merchan’s previous ruling that Trump’s motion to change venues was untimely. They also blamed Trump for any pretrial prejudice for making “countless media appearances talking about the facts of this case, the witnesses, and so on,” according to The Associated Press.
However, Trump’s team thinks they have one last chance to turn things around before the trial commences. According to The Hill, attorneys hope to delay the trial by appealing the gag order imposed on Trump by Judge Merchan. (RELATED: Report: High-Profile Trump Aide To Testify In Hush Money Trial)
On March 26, Merchan granted the request of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to impose a limited gag order on Trump. The order initially restricted Trump’s ability to speak out against jurors, witnesses and court staff. At first, it did not apply to Merchan or Bragg’s relatives, but the judge later expanded it after Trump repeatedly took to social media to chastise Merchan’s adult daughter, who works for a progressive political consulting firm.
Trump continues to call for Merchant’s recusal over his daughter’s work, which he believes presents a conflict of interest.
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