Former President Donald Trump’s attempt to postpone his criminal hush money trial in New York was rebuffed by Judge Juan Merchan, who dismissed the motion citing Trump’s own actions contributing to the situation. Despite Trump’s legal team’s efforts to delay proceedings due to pretrial publicity, Merchan’s order emphasized the impracticality of an indefinite adjournment.
Juan Merchan: Judge of the Trump Trial
The trial, scheduled to commence Monday, involves 34 counts of falsifying business records related to pre-election hush money payments to an adult film star. Trump maintains his innocence, denying any affair.
In addition to the denial, Trump’s attorneys sought changes to the jury selection process, criticizing the proposed approach for lacking clarity in identifying potential biases. They urged the judge to distinguish between jurors unable to be fair and those simply unable to serve, emphasizing the necessity for a clear record for potential appellate review or venue-change motions.
Furthermore, Trump’s legal team argued for additional questions in the jury questionnaire to identify potential jurors with affiliations that could influence their impartiality. They await a ruling on these requests from the judge.
