A New York appeals court judge has rejected President Donald Trump’s request to delay the trial for his politically motivated “hush money” case.
On Tuesday, Justice Cynthia Kern issued the ruling to deny the request from Trump’s legal team.
Trump’s attorneys argue that the trial should be delayed until a full panel of judges could hear arguments relating to a gag order on the 45th president.
The trial for the case, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is still set to begin on April 15.
During the Tuesday hearing, Trump lawyer Emil Bove argued:
“The First Amendment harms arising from this gag order right now are irreparable.”
Bove went on to argue that Trump should not face a gag order because the prosecution’s two star witnesses routinely criticize him in public.
The uncredible witnesses called by the prosecution are porn star Stormy Daniels and disgraced former lawyer Michael Cohen.
Trump’s gag order was imposed by Judge Juan Merchan, a supporter of President Joe Biden who donates to Democrats.
It prevents Trump from speaking about jurors, witnesses, and others in the trial.
Merchan agreed to impose the gag after prosecutors with George Soros-funded DA Bragg’s office argued that Trump has a “long history of making public and inflammatory remarks” in court.
Trump and his attorneys filed a motion requesting that Merchan be recused from the trial altogether.
The motion was filed after it emerged that the judge’s daughter, Loren Merchan, is involved in Democrat-affiliated political work.
Judge Merchan has also expressed “hostility” against the 2024 presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
However, Merchan responded to the request by expanding the gag order last week to include prohibiting Trump from speaking about members of his own family.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of allegedly falsifying business records in the first degree.
The charges are related to alleged “hush-money” payments made to Daniels during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Bragg alleges that Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”
Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts.
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