The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial has rejected the former president’s bid for a delay until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on his presidential immunity claims in another case.
Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan deemed Trump’s request untimely, ruling that his lawyers had plenty of opportunities to raise the immunity issue before they finally did so in a March 7 court filing.
TRUMP HUSH-MONEY CASE ‘COULD NOT BE WORSE FOR OUR COUNTRY,’ JONATHAN TURLEY WARNS
Lawyers for the presumptive Republican nominee had asked to adjourn the New York trial indefinitely until Trump’s immunity claim in his Washington, D.C., election interference case is resolved.
Merchan previously chided Trump’s lawyers for missing a filing deadline, waiting more than two weeks before jury selection to raise the immunity issue and failing to “explain the reason for the late filing.”
Trump contends he is immune from prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. His lawyers argue some of the evidence and alleged acts in the hush money case overlap with his time in the White House and constitute official acts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
