A New York judge has ruled that Donald Trump’s hush-money trial will proceed as scheduled, with jury selection beginning on March 25. The decision comes despite objections from Trump’s defense team, who argued that the trial would interfere with his campaign efforts to retake the White House.
The trial, which will be the first of Trump’s four criminal prosecutions to go to trial, centers on accusations that he sought to suppress stories about extramarital affairs during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Other cases against Trump include charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and allegations of hoarding classified documents.
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan cited the recent delay in a separate Washington prosecution related to election interference as a reason to proceed with the trial as scheduled.
He noted that he had previously resisted calls to postpone the trial and decided to stick with the original date after speaking with the judge overseeing the Washington case.
The trial is expected to last six weeks and will coincide with a crucial period in the presidential campaign calendar, potentially impacting Trump’s ability to campaign.
However, Trump has attended court proceedings voluntarily in the past, and he indicated that he would continue to campaign during the trial.
Trump’s legal team has argued that the case is politically motivated and has sought to have it dismissed. However, the judge rejected their request, and Trump will now face trial on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Each count carries a potential punishment of up to four years in prison, although there is no guarantee that a conviction would result in prison time.
The case revolves around payments made to two women, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, as well as to a Trump Tower doorman, in an effort to suppress damaging stories about Trump.
Trump’s legal team has maintained that no crime was committed, but prosecutors allege that Trump falsified records to conceal the true nature of the payments.
