Emmanuel OchayiThe judge overseeing Donald Trump’s Manhattan trial dismissed his plea to push back the trial date.
The ruling clears the way for the trial to proceed, marking a significant development in the first prosecution of a former U.S. president.
In his decision, Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump’s request to postpone the trial until after the Supreme Court decides on presidential immunity. Trump’s attempt to delay the trial was deemed “untimely” and lacking in sincerity by the judge.
“The circumstances, viewed as a whole, test this court’s credulity,” remarked Judge Merchan.
Trump’s legal team had sought a delay or outright dismissal of the case before, citing prosecutorial misconduct. However, the judge upheld the April 15 start date, dismissing Trump’s claims.
The Manhattan case revolves around a hush-money deal with Stormy Daniels, a porn actor, during the 2016 campaign. Trump faces charges of falsifying business records related to the payoff, which he vehemently denies at that time.
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Despite his efforts to stall the trial, the judge remained unconvinced of the validity of his claims. Merchan noted that Trump’s lawyers had previously argued the same issue in federal court without raising it with him.
Furthermore, the judge expressed skepticism regarding the relevance of the immunity claim to the charges brought by the Manhattan District Attorney by the former American President.
“The issue of the state proceedings I don’t believe is for the Supreme Court,” stated Judge Merchan during a hearing in February this year.
In his ruling, Merchan emphasized that Trump “does not appear to raise a claim of presidential immunity” applicable to the cover-up of the sex scandal.
With the trial set to proceed as scheduled, his legal battles continue amid his campaign efforts to regain the White House in November.
