Trump loses latest bid to delay hush money criminal trial
12 April 2024, 23:04
Jury selection is due to start on Monday.
The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money criminal case has turned down the former president’s request to postpone his trial because of adverse publicity.
It is the latest in a string of delay refusals that Mr Trump has got from various courts this week as he fights to stave off the trial’s start on Monday with jury selection.
Among other things, Mr Trump’s lawyers argued that the jury pool was deluged with what the defence saw as “exceptionally prejudicial” news coverage of the case.
The defence argued that was a reason to hold off the case indefinitely.
Judge Juan M Merchan said that idea was “not tenable”.
Mr Trump “appears to take the position that his situation and this case are unique and that the pre-trial publicity will never subside. However, this view does not align with reality,” the judge wrote.
He said questioning of prospective jurors would address any concerns about their ability to be fair and impartial.
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