The New York Court of Appeals on Monday rejected Mr. Trump’s bid to suspend his hush money trial, arguing that the case should be heard outside of Manhattan.
The decision came after an emergency hearing on Monday in which Trump’s lawyers argued that deep blue Manhattan was not the appropriate venue to hear the Republican president’s controversial criminal case. insisted.
Instead, the former president’s lawyers proposed that the trial be held in Staten Island, the only New York City that Trump won in 2016 and 2020.
In the meantime, lawyers argued that Trump’s trial, scheduled to begin with jury selection on April 15, should be suspended. This is his first criminal trial, and it will also be the first criminal trial for a former U.S. president.
Lawyers for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office pointed to Judge Juan Marchand’s ruling that Trump’s motion for change of venue was timely.
Trump’s lawyers are scheduled to return to the New York Court of Appeals at a later date for arguments over a last-ditch effort to suspend the trial while they appeal the gag order imposed by the trial judge.
Marchan forbade Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and judges’ families, but did not prevent him from hurling insults at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) and the judges themselves. .
President Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with hush money his former fixer paid to a porn star to cover up an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election. He pleaded not guilty.
The Associated Press contributed.
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