The judge has scheduled a trial for April 15 in the Donald Trump “hush money” case, denying a request for a postponement.
2015 defamation suit filed by former “Apprentice” contestant Summer Zervos
The judge in New York who has control over the legal proceedings against ex-President Donald Trump for a 2015 defamation lawsuit brought by former “Apprentice” contestant Summer Zervos.“hush money” payment
The trial of a lawsuit filed by an adult film star was not postponed despite his request to do so. The judge, after a hearing on Monday, ordered that the trial will begin on April 15.
Judge Juan Merchan stated that the prosecutors had exceeded their duties and it was unusual to be spending time on the matter, while Trump observed.
On Monday, there was a hearing called by Merchan to listen to the arguments presented by Alvin Bragg’s office and Trump’s legal team regarding a new dispute. This dispute revolves around around 100,000 documents that federal prosecutors gave to the D.A.’s office at the beginning of the month. Trump was present at the hearing in a Manhattan courtroom, which happened to be on the same day the trial was supposed to begin.
A new potential court date has been established for April 15. Trump’s lawyers claimed that the case should be postponed or dismissed due to extensive misconduct by Bragg’s team, who did not promptly obtain and provide the necessary documents. Prosecutors argued that they were not required to acquire the records, which came from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York, and maintained that only a small portion of them were pertinent to the New York trial.
Donald Trump is accused of committing fraud in connection with financial documents involving a payment of $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Daniels claimed to have had a previous relationship with Trump and sold the rights to her story for the payment, which was facilitated by Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Trump entered the courtroom on Monday morning with a serious demeanor, while maintaining his innocence and denying any involvement in an affair with Daniels. He referred to the prosecution as a “witch hunt” and a “hoax”.
first of four criminal prosecutions
Trump will face a trial where a group of citizens will decide his guilt. Trump is accused in a case in Georgia that is connected to the 2020 election, as well as two federal cases led by special counsel Jack Smith that pertain to Trump’s behavior following his loss in the election and his handling of confidential materials. He has pleaded innocent to all accusations and claims that he is being targeted for political motives.
Monday’s hearing
The defense team for Trump has requested a longer trial delay, lasting up to three months, or a complete dismissal of the case. They claim that Bragg’s office intentionally neglected to obtain certain documents. However, prosecutors have stated that they requested these records last year, and the Justice Department initially refused to provide them. It was only when the defense issued a subpoena that the Justice Department changed their decision and handed over the documents in early March.
Over 100,000 pages of documents were gathered, including bank records and emails, in relation to the Justice Department’s investigation of Cohen. Cohen, who admitted to federal charges in 2018, is now the main witness against Trump in the New York case.
On Monday, during the hearing, Merchan went over a sequence of recent submissions and discussions related to the case before asking a series of questions with a focus on the defense’s assertion that the prosecutor did not sufficiently seek the records.
Merchan stated that the defense’s submissions leading up to this hearing had strayed from his instructions. He proceeded to clarify that the objective of this hearing on Monday was to identify those accountable for the concerns and determine necessary sanctions, if any. He acknowledged that there were no major factual inquiries to be resolved.
The judge stated that the issue at hand is defining the extent of the state’s responsibility to provide evidence to the defense during pretrial discovery. The prosecutor’s office argued that they were not required to give the Justice Department documents and tried to provide Trump’s team with more material than what was necessary for the case in good faith. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo also mentioned that out of the 100,000 records, only about 300 were deemed relevant to the case.
“According to Todd Blanche, Trump’s attorney, a large amount of records could be significant for the case and the defense team requires additional time to organize them. He also disclosed that the federal prosecutors notified him on Sunday night that they will be providing more records associated with Stephanie Clifford, who is also known as Daniels.”
Merchan inquired with Blanche regarding his claim that the district attorney’s office intentionally neglected to collect and share necessary materials with the defense. He referenced the defense’s request to dismiss the case based on a law stating that prosecutors must provide materials from any office within their jurisdiction. Merchan asked Blanche if there is a precedent showing that the federal U.S. Attorney’s Office falls under the authority of local prosecutors.
Merchan expressed concern over the fact that there was currently no evidence to support the defense’s accusations against the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and the individuals involved in the case. He emphasized the gravity of these accusations and questioned why they were being made without any concrete examples to back them up.
Following a short pause, Merchan resumed proceedings in the court and announced that the process of selecting a jury would commence on April 15th.
“The court has determined, based on the available evidence, that the district attorney of New York County is not responsible for the delayed submission of records from the U.S Attorney’s Office,” he stated.
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Source: cbsnews.com