Donald Trump’s hush money trial was delayed on Friday for at least a month by the New York judge. Judge Juan Merchan seeks answers to the tampered evidence that Trump’s lawyers claim to have hindered their defense preparation process.
Trump’s first criminal trial, which alleges him to have hidden hush money transactions connected to extramarital affairs, was originally set for March 25. Now, the exact date will be set at a hearing on March 25.
Judge Juan Merchan said,
Trial on this matter is adjourned for 30 days from the date of this letter on consent of the People.
This implies that there is no way that the trial will start before April 15.
Donald Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, originating from the hush money payment of $130,000 made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen. Allegedly, Cohen paid the adult film star Stormy Daniels to stay silent on her affair with the former president before the 2016 election.
However, Trump denies any such affair and has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have said that Cohen gave money to Daniels to prevent Trump’s family from any embarrassment.
Previously, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office had alleged this hush payment was made in an attempt to get better results in the election.
On Thursday, the DA’s office announced that they would accept a 30-day delay to begin the trial, as it would give the defense enough time to go through the newly received documents thoroughly.
Notably, Trump has been facing four criminal cases as he looks forward to winning the presidential elections. Delays in trials for lack of evidence are not new, but any further delays will impact the elections. Thus, his lawyers seem to be aiming to push the criminal trials and schedule them after the November 5 vote.
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