The trial for former President Donald Trump’s hush money case has been postponed until mid-April. This delay comes after the revelation of new evidence, which has been attributed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
What Happened: The trial, which was initially set to commence on March 25, has been pushed back by Judge Juan Merchan due to the recent disclosure of over 70,000 pages of relevant records by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, reported The Hill on Friday.
The trial is Trump’s first criminal trial, and the delay is seen as a strategic move by the former President to buy more time for his legal team. The trial is now scheduled to begin in mid-April.
"The Court will set the new trial date, if necessary, when it rules on Defendant's motion following the hearing," Merchan wrote.
"This Court's directive that the parties, including the Defendant, not engage or otherwise enter into any commitment pending completion of this trial remains in effect."
Both the prosecution and Trump’s legal team have agreed to the delay, with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office expressing an “abundance of caution.” Trump’s lawyers have argued that the new evidence necessitates a delay that extends beyond late April.
"For now, however, an adjournment is necessary, and thirty days is not sufficient given the volume of recently produced materials and the nature of the ongoing dispute," Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles wrote in a letter to the judge on Thursday.
The trial will also address the issue of the late production of documents by federal prosecutors.
"The correspondence must include but not be limited to letters, subpoenas, e-mails, notes, messages, etc. The requested documents are necessary for this Court to properly assess who, if anyone, is at fault for the late production of the documents, what prejudice, if any, was suffered by either party and what sanction(s) if any, are appropriate," Merchan wrote.
Why It Matters: This delay is the latest in a series of moves that appear to benefit Trump as he seeks to delay his various criminal trials. The former president is also set to have his immunity claims considered by the Supreme Court on April 25, which could further impact his ongoing legal battles.
Trump’s legal team has been employing various strategies in his defense. Earlier this week, in a New York criminal court, they argued that Trump lacked the requisite intent to commit the conduct charged in the indictment due to the involvement of his lawyers in the incident.
Last month, Trump presented a novel legal theory in his hush-money case, arguing that even if he was guilty of something, there is no crime.
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This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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