TRUMP VS. JUSTICE
The criminal trial against former United States President Donald Trump, stemming from money paid to a porn star to maintain her silence before the 2016 elections, will be delayed until mid-April. This was ruled by the judge in charge of the case, Juan Merchán. For this matter alone, the Republican leader faces 34 crimes related to irregular payments. The postponement of the process, initially scheduled for March 25, comes at a time when Trump is trying to slow down the proceedings in his various legal problems, as he prepares to challenge President Joe Biden in the elections on November 5.
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New respite for former President Donald Trump, while he tries to delay his judicial processes, in the face of the dispute for the White House.
Manhattan Judge Juan Manuel Merchán accepted a 30-day delay, starting Friday, March 15, of the start of the trial against the former president, derived from the money paid to a porn star, known as 'Stormy Daniels', to maintain her silence about her extramarital relationship before the 2016 elections, in which Trump was elected president, against his then rival at the polls, the former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
The reason? The judge argued for the late disclosure of evidence against the former president. The judge is seeking answers about a last-minute dump of evidence that the Republican leader's lawyers say has hampered his ability to prepare his defense.
The judge presiding over President Trump's hush-money case delayed the trial, which was set to start on March 25 to at least mid-April, in a court order filed on Friday. https://t.co/jEPWmzOpIp
—The New York Sun (@NewYorkSun) March 16, 2024
The postponement comes after the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan, which had previously investigated former Trump attorney Michael Cohen's payment to Daniels, this month disclosed more than 100,000 pages of documents related to Cohen in response to a subpoena from the team. defense of the former president.
“The requested documents are necessary for the court to properly evaluate who—if anyone—is to blame for the late filing of the documents,” the judge wrote.
It has no basis in fact or law and must be dismissed
However, Merchán did not grant everything requested by the former head of state's lawyers, as they asked for a three-month delay and for the case to be dismissed.
In a statement, the Trump campaign continued to argue that the case “has no basis in fact or law and should be dismissed.”
The trial was scheduled to begin on March 25.. The delay means that The trial would not begin before April 15. Prosecutors had said they would not object to a brief delay.
The judge demanded a chronology of events detailing when the documents were requested and when they were delivered. He also requests all correspondence between the Manhattan district attorney's office, which is prosecuting Trump, and the U.S. attorney's office, which investigated the matter previously in 2018.
Trump faces 34 crimes just for the 'Stormy Daniels' case
This is the first of four criminal accusations filed against the former president in 2023.. And for this matter alone, the Republican leader faces 34 crimes related to irregular payments.
While none of the other three cases against Trump have firm dates for the start of a trial, the delay of this trial in New York could complicate the scheduling of the others.
Trump has already pleaded not guilty to accusations related to the porn star, which according to investigations includes falsifying business records to conceal his former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to porn star 'Stormy Daniels' for her silence. about a sexual encounter she claims they had a decade earlier.
The former president has denied having had such an encounter with the woman, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges that he violated campaign finance law by paying Daniels.
Judge Juan Merchán's decision to delay the first criminal trial of a former US president marks another victory for Trump. The tycoon-turned-politician has tried to slow down the proceedings of his various legal problems, just as he prepares to challenge President Joe Biden in the race for the White Housein the elections programs for next November 5.
Trump also faces three other federal and state criminal charges, including two stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden, as well as one related to his handling of sensitive government documents after leaving office in 2021.. The controversial former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
With Reuters and AP
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