New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan has denied Donald Trump’s “last-ditch bid” to delay trial in District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s 34 count criminal felony case alleging the ex-president falsified business records to hide what some have called “hush money” in an effort to protect his campaign in the 2016 election.
Trump had requested the trial be delayed until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on his presidential immunity claim, but Judge Merchan told Trump’s attorneys they waited too long to make the request, and denied it in full as “untimely.”
“This Court finds that Defendant had myriad opportunities to raise the claim of presidential immunity well before March 7, 2024,” Merchan wrote.
Legal experts praised Merchan’s ruling.
“This case is going to trial in 12 days. Trump needs to get ready to face it,” wrote national security attorney Bradley Moss.
“Criminal accountability in NY is nigh,” said professor of law, MSNBC/NBC News legal analyst, and former FBI General Counsel Andrew Weissmann. “The 4/15 NY criminal trial is going forward, so Donald needs to fasten his seat belt — it’s taking off.”
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“Another day, another one of Trump’s motions to dismiss has been denied. His New York criminal trial is moving full steam ahead,” noted attorney Aaron Parnas.
“Let’s just pause for a moment to dilate on the inanity of this motion, even apart from its untimeliness,” wrote attorney George Conway, posting his overview of the case. “Trump is arguing that paying off a porn star was somehow part of his official responsibilities as President of the United States.”
“Not only that,” Conway continued, “he’s arguing that paying off the porn star *before* he became president, and then later reimbursing the intermediary who made the payment and covering up the reimbursement on the books of his **personal, private** company, was somehow part of his official responsibilities as President of the United States.”
“The motion wasn’t made earlier because it’s as demented as he is,” Conway concluded.
Watch MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin explain Judge Merchan’s ruling below or at this link.
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