Former United States of America’s President Donald Trump’s request to dismiss criminal charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star was denied by a New York judge on Thursday, reported Reuters.
This ruling paved the way for the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president.
For the case, Justice Juan Merchan set a trial date of March 25 – one of four criminal prosecutions Trump faces as he pursues the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the 5 November 5 US election.
Earlier, Trump has asked Merchan to toss the 34-count indictment, which charges him with falsifying business records to cover up the $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
However, Merchan took less than 10 minutes to deny his request and confirmed the March 25 start date.
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However, Trump repeated his claims that the case is politically motivated ahead of the hearing.
“They wouldn’t have brought this except for the fact – no way – except for the fact that I’m running for president and doing well,” Reuters quoted Trump as saying in a hallway outside the courtroom.
The trial is set to start before the three other criminal cases Trump faces.
By that point, Trump may have effectively wrapped up the Republican nomination. Till now, Trump has won the first four state nominating contests and opinion polls show him with a wide lead over his lone challenger, Nikki Haley.
Trump has used his frequent court dates to help raise money for his presidential campaign, though the strategy is seeing diminishing returns after he raked in millions around his first appearances last year.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.
Outside the courthouse, A handful of protesters held signs denouncing Trump and shouted ‘no dictators in the U.S.A.’
Trump’s political and legal calendars are increasingly overlapping ahead of his expected rematch with Biden, who defeated him in the 2020 election.
Another case:
Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyers will ask a Georgia judge in a separate court hearing on Thursday to disqualify the prosecutor who charged him and several allies with crimes involving trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. The prosecutor, Fani Willis, has admitted to having a romantic relationship with a lawyer on her team.
Trump also faces federal charges in Washington over his efforts to overturn his election loss and in Florida over his handling of classified documents. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all the cases.
In a testy exchange, Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche pressed Merchan to reconsider his decision to hold the trial on March 25, citing scheduling issues with the other cases.
“It is completely election interference to say that you are going to sit in this courtroom in Manhattan when there’s no reason for it,” Blanche said.
“He’s not going to be at more than one criminal trial at the same time,” Merchan said. “Stop interrupting me, please.”
With agency inputs.
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Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
