Former President Trump’s legal battles will be in the spotlight this week, in a busy and important week for potential Republican candidates’ legal battles.
Attention is currently focused on a hush money trial in New York after a jury was selected last week.
But this is just one front for the former president, who will also face a potential gag order related to the case and a dispute over bail he paid in a separate civil fraud case in New York. Become.
Perhaps most importantly, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week on President Trump’s immunity claims.
Here’s a breakdown of his court calendar this week:
Opening statement in hush money trial
New York Judge Juan Marchand said he expects opening statements to begin Monday in the hush money trial after all jurors and alternates were formally sworn in last week.
Lawyers for both sides will give opening statements before prosecutors begin filing charges against the former president. To prove guilt, prosecutors must convince a jury that the former president falsified his business records with the intent to commit or commit fraud or another crime.
President Trump falsified business records related to hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels by former fixer Michael Cohen to cover up an alleged affair with Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election. He has been charged with 34 charges.
The jury selection process took four days as Trump’s lawyers, prosecutors and Marchan narrowed down the pool of potential jurors. The trial is expected to take at least six weeks after jury selection.
This week, the court will adjourn at 2pm on Monday and Tuesday in observance of Passover. The court will continue to meet on four regular dates this week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Trump’s $175 million bail hearing in civil fraud case
Trump will also have to deal with a hearing starting at 10 a.m. Monday related to Trump’s $175 million bail in a New York civil fraud case.
The New York attorney general’s office asked Judge Arthur Engoron to void Trump’s bond, saying he and his co-defendants failed to show the surety company had the funds to cover the bond. Ta. The agency also said the defendants have not shown that “sufficiently secure and verifiable” collateral exists to support the bonds.
The attorney general’s office first questioned the bond earlier this month in a short court notice asking Trump or his insurance company to certify that he has the ability to pay the full bond if Trump loses his appeal. presented. State attorneys also asked Trump or the company to show that the bonds were properly secured.
The bail would allow the Trump campaign to appeal the multimillion-dollar judgment without the office of state Attorney General Letitia James (D) collecting on it.
Mr. Engoron is scheduled to hear bond arguments Monday from Mr. Trump’s lawyers in the civil fraud case and lawyers from the New York attorney general’s office.
Gag order hearing in hush money case
A hearing on President Trump’s gag order is scheduled for Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
Prosecutors last week asked Marchand to fine the former president $3,000, saying Trump violated the gag order. Machan did not immediately rule on the prosecution’s request, which was filed April 15, but he scheduled a hearing on the matter for April 23.
Assistant District Attorney Chris Conroy said the former president’s three recent posts on Truth Social reflect the ban imposed by Marchand to prevent him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and judges’ families. He said it was a violation of the gag order.
The posts in question were aimed at potential witnesses in the hush money case, including Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen.
Trump’s lawyers have argued that the posts did not violate the gag order, and attorney Todd Blanche said last week that Trump was “responding to the vile, repeated and violent attacks by these witnesses.” “I am doing so,” he said.
Trump immunity debate at SCOTUS
The Supreme Court will hear arguments starting Thursday at 10 a.m. on whether President Trump can be criminally prosecuted for allegedly trying to overturn his 2020 reelection loss.
The high court earlier this year agreed to hear President Trump’s immunity claim in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s pending election interference case. Mr. Trump’s lawyers have argued that Mr. Smith’s case should be thrown out, arguing that Mr. Smith has absolute presidential immunity from criminal prosecution.
His immunity claims have so far been rejected by Trump’s trial judge and a three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Marchan said last week that Trump would not be able to attend Thursday’s discussion on presidential immunity. Under New York state law, Mr. Trump must be present for the entire hush money trial unless he receives special permission from the judge to be absent.
“I’ll see him here next week,” the judge said at the time.
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