On Monday, Judge Juan Merchan announced that the criminal trial against former President Donald Trump will begin on April 15 in New York. The case centers on 34 charges connected to irregular payments to an adult film actress in 2016, a trial schedule that had been set for today.
Trump attended the hearing in person, wearing a blue suit and a red tie, and again claimed to reporters that his various trials in New York amount to a political witch hunt led by Democrats.
He argued that this is political interference and insisted that it should not be allowed to happen. He would become the first former president in U.S. history to face a criminal trial.
The Republican candidate said the case could have been brought three and a half years ago, but that officials decided to wait until now, in the midst of the election season, to hinder his ability to campaign.
The defense team had asked the judge to delay the trial even further, seeking additional time to review a large volume of documents provided by federal authorities this month.
Last week, Merchan, who was born in Colombia and arrived in the United States at age six, postponed the jury selection portion of the trial by 30 days, moving the date from today to a later point.
Both Manhattan prosecutors and Trump’s lawyers had supported delaying the proceedings due to the sheer amount of material involved, arguing that the review would ensure a fair process.
Earlier this week, a New York appellate court gave the former president permission to post a lower bail amount than initially set in a separate civil fraud case.
Under the new order, Trump must post a bond of 175 million dollars within ten days, rather than 464 million, while the appeal over a prior 454 million dollar judgment is resolved.
This adjustment is viewed as a meaningful relief for Trump as he faces ongoing legal scrutiny on multiple fronts. The judge who presided over the civil case found that Trump and several associates inflated the value of assets for financial advantage, a ruling that has shaped much of the current legal narrative around these charges.
The latest developments mark a critical juncture for Trump and his business interests, with potential implications for his campaign and the broader political landscape as trials unfold and arguments on evidence and procedure continue to play out.