Attorneys for President Donald Trump asked the judge for a pause in the hush money case while the big shots up in the U.S. Supreme Court ponder over Trump’s presidential immunity thing.
This seems to have the liberals rubbing their hands together with glee as if they just money.
“See! If he was innocent, he wouldn’t ask for a delay!”
His defense attorney, Todd Blanche, requested:
President Trump respectfully submits that an adjournment of the trial is appropriate to await further guidance from the Supreme Court, which should facilitate the appropriate application of the presidential immunity doctrine in this case to the evidence the People intend to offer at trial.”
But the judge refused to allow this request.
The hush money trial will still commence on March 25.
BREAKING: Donald Trump wants New York hush-money trial delayed until Supreme Court rules on immunity claims https://t.co/5cx4No9F17
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 11, 2024
ABC News reports:
Attorneys for former President Donald Trump asked the judge overseeing his New York hush money case to delay the trial while the U.S. Supreme Court weighs Trump’s presidential immunity argument — but the judge pushed back in an order made public late Monday.
Trump’s attorneys are scheduled to argue before the Supreme Count next month that he is immune from prosecution for conduct that occurred while he was in office.
In asking for a delay of his hush money trial, currently scheduled to begin March 25, Trump has not argued the charges should be dropped over the immunity claim — but that the trial be put off and prosecutors be precluded from introducing evidence.
“President Trump respectfully submits that an adjournment of the trial is appropriate to await further guidance from the Supreme Court, which should facilitate the appropriate application of the presidential immunity doctrine in this case to the evidence the People intend to offer at trial,” defense attorney Todd Blanche wrote in Monday’s court filing.
Judge Juan Merchan, however, criticized the timing of Trump’s request and ordered that the former president seek permission before making future motions before the March 25 trial date.
“Defendant does not explain the reason for the late filing, a mere two and a half weeks before jury selection is set to begin,” Merchan said in his order. He gave prosecutors until Wednesday to respond to Trump’s request for an adjournment.
Going forward, Merchan ordered that the parties need to file a one-page letter explaining and justifying any requested relief before filing a motion. After giving the opposing party one day to respond, Merchan said he would decide the request by setting a briefing schedule or considering the one-page letters as the motions themselves.
“Effective immediately, the parties are hereby directed to obtain leave of the Court before filing any additional motions prior to March 25, 2024,” Merchan wrote.
The Supreme Court announced last month that it will hear oral arguments in April on whether Trump can claim sweeping presidential immunity for actions taken while in office, after Trump asked the court to decide the matter in the face of special counsel Jack Smith’s federal election interference case against him.
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