Former President Donald Trump has petitioned to indefinitely postpone his hush money trial, citing overwhelming “pre-trial publicity.” Trump and his legal team argue that the extensive coverage surrounding his case in New York would impede his chances of receiving a fair trial.
Despite Trump’s own efforts to amplify attention to the trial through various platforms, including rallies and social media, he now contends that the widespread knowledge of the charges against him prejudices potential jurors.
In recent court filings, Trump pointed fingers at others, including the New York district attorney and former associates, for the media frenzy surrounding the trial.
Trump blamed the district attorney for the timing of Allen Weisselberg’s plea deal, labeling it as “manufactured.” Weisselberg, the former CFO of the Trump Organization, pleaded guilty to perjury.
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Trump also claimed that his former fixer Michael Cohen would “spew vitriol” to “anyone who will listen,” and slammed porn actress Stormy Daniels’ latest documentary about her legal saga with the former president, claiming it was filled with “prejudicial, false commentary about this case.”
After surveying 400 residents from New York, Orange, Richmond, Rockland, and Suffolk Counties, Trump’s legal team determined that “many of the potential jurors already wrongfully believe that President Trump is guilty.”
Additionally, they cited a “media study” that identified over 1,200 online news articles between January and February containing prejudicial discussions about Trump’s legal proceedings and alleged sexual misconduct, including false accusations of “rape.”
This move by Trump’s legal team is likely aimed at further delaying his trial, which is currently scheduled to commence jury selection on April 15. Judge Juan Merchan has previously dismissed several delay tactics by Trump’s legal team, issuing a ruling that requires them to seek permission before making future filings to prevent further delays.
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The trial faced a setback last month when the Southern District of New York provided 100,000 pages of documents just days before the scheduled trial start date. The case revolves around allegations that Trump directed Cohen to conceal an affair with Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
Trump faces 34 felony charges, including falsifying business records to cover up the affair. Despite the charges, Trump maintains his innocence and has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg urged a judge to reject the eleventh-hour bid by Donald Trump. Trump’s “own incessant rhetoric is generating significant publicity, and it would be perverse to reward [him] with an adjournment based on media attention he is actively seeking,” Bragg told New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan.
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Trump “simply cannot have it both ways: complaining about the prejudicial effect of pretrial publicity, while seeking to pollute the jury pool himself by making baseless and inflammatory accusations about this trial, specific witnesses, individual prosecutors, and the Court itself,” Bragg wrote.
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