A judge in New York handling Donald Trump’s criminal case about hush money has denied his request to postpone the trial scheduled for Monday.
Trump argued that extensive media coverage could bias the trial and make it hard to find a fair jury in Manhattan, where he claims people are biased against him. But Justice Juan Merchan said delaying the trial indefinitely wasn’t possible.
Merchan noted that Trump himself had added to the media coverage by frequently blaming others on social media for his legal issues.
Prosecutors opposed delaying the trial, saying the publicity wasn’t likely to go away and that granting Trump’s request would reward him with more media attention.
They’re confident they can choose a fair jury by asking potential jurors thorough questions.
New York judge rejects Trump’s bid (Via Steve West/Getty Images)
Trump, expected to be the Republican candidate in November’s election against Democratic President Joe Biden, is dealing with legal fights.
His campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, said Trump is committed to fighting what he calls the “Biden Trial” and other “Witch Hunts.”
Earlier in the week, three individual state appeals court judges rejected Trump’s arguments to delay the trial, but a full panel of judges will eventually review the issues.
Trump faces many criminal cases but has said he’s not guilty of any charges. The hush money case, led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is the first criminal trial involving a former U.S. president.
Prosecutors say Trump hid payments to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to keep her quiet about an alleged extramarital encounter, which Trump denies. His lawyers say the payments were legal expenses.
