A New York judge has denied Donald Trump’s bid to delay his 15 April trial on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star until the US Supreme Court reviews claim to presidential immunity in a separate criminal case.
The court is scheduled to hear the former US president’s arguments that he is immune from federal prosecution for trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat on 25 April.
His defence lawyers in the New York case in March asked Justice Juan Merchan to delay the trial until that review was complete, arguing it was relevant because prosecutors were seeking to present evidence of statements Mr Trump made while he was president from 2017 to 2021.
In a court ruling today, Justice Merchan said Mr Trump had waited too long to raise the issue.
“Defendant had myriad opportunities to raise the claim of presidential immunity well before 7 March, 2024,” Justice Merchan wrote.
Mr Trump, the Republican candidate to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the 5 November election, has pleaded not guilty in each of the four criminal indictments he faces.
