A judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss Stormy Daniels’ hush money case and set a trial date for March 25 in a blockbuster hearing in a New York courtroom.
The 77-year-old will be the first former president to appear in a criminal trial when he faces a jury accused of paying the adult film star $130,000 to keep quiet about their alleged affair before the 2016 election.
He frowned at the packed courtroom as he walked to the front and leaned back in his chair as Judge Juan Merchán rejected his attempt to dismiss the case.
Entering the building surrounded by police, Trump insisted that “there is no case” and said New York should focus on violent crime and the rise of immigrants instead of “made-up crimes.”
He attacked the “dirty” and “crime-ridden” Big Apple, claimed President Joe Biden is targeting him because he is ahead in the polls, and insisted there is “no crime” even “if I’m guilty.”
Trump was also open about how he wants to delay the trial before the general election, saying this was the latest “interference” plot by his opponents.
‘We want delays, obviously. I am running for election again,” he defiantly told reporters before addressing the court.
A judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss Stormy Daniels’ hush money case and set a trial date for March 25 in a blockbuster hearing in a New York courtroom.
The former president looks out at the public gallery and waiting photographers as he prepares for the start of the hearing in the secret money case.
He frowned at the packed courtroom as he walked to the front with his lawyers and leaned back in his chair as Judge Juan Merchán rejected his offer to dismiss the case.
Trump looks ahead with his hands clasped after getting angry at New York and Biden chasing him out of the courtroom.
‘This is not a crime, and when you look at what’s happening outside on the streets, where violent crime is at an all-time high, it’s a huge double standard… what it is is election interference. It is run by Joe Biden’s White House.
‘I love this city and I love this state. They have to focus on violent crime… Now we have a new form of crime: immigrant crime.
“The immigrants are trying to beat up our police officers… and they are coming after me for not having done anything wrong.”
Merchan said he had spoken with Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the Jan. 6 trial in Washington, to coordinate scheduling.
The Jan. 6 trial was due to begin March 4, but was postponed until the Supreme Court decides questions of presidential immunity.
Judge Merchan said: “There are a lot of moving parts in the DC case and no one really knows what is going to happen or when it is going to happen.”
‘We move forward to jury selection on March 25.
Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, protested that it would be a “grave injustice” to move up that date.
He said Trump was facing three other different cases in three other jurisdictions and was in an “impossible position” having to prepare for all of them.
A frustrated Judge Merchan intervened and asked if there was anything else Blanche wanted to say.
When Blanche spoke again, Judge Merchan said: “You are not telling me anything that you did not include in your previous application.”
Merchan said he did not have a hearing to set a trial date before today because it would have been an “absolute waste of time” given the changing trial dates for the other cases.
When Blanche tried to protest, Judge Merchan said: ‘Stop interrupting me, please.’
Blanche tried to protest that the date for the Florida case over Trump’s mishandling of classified documents, set for May 20, was firm.
In the courtroom were 17 court security officers and Secret Service agents who closely watched the journalists as they sat in the public gallery.
Before the hearing, the New York Criminal Court had extraordinary security measures in place.
Roads around the courthouse in midtown Manhattan were closed and barricades were set up along the streets with dozens of police officers standing guard.
Trump said “there is no case” as he arrived at court for a blockbuster hearing in the hush money case involving porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal.
As he entered the courthouse, Trump insisted that “this is not a crime” and said New York should focus on violent crimes instead of “made-up crimes.”
Trump speaks with one of his lawyers before the hearing in New York
Trump stormed the “dirty” and “crime-ridden” Big Apple, claimed President Joe Biden is targeting him because he’s ahead in the polls, and insisted “there’s no crime” even “if I’m guilty.”
Anyone entering the court had to go through two security checkpoints: one on the ground floor and another on the 15th floor, where the courtroom was located.
Trump faces three more criminal trials for election interference and mishandling classified documents, but the hush money case will be his first.
Trump has denied 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
The case revolves around the claim that records of the $130,000 payment to Daniels with the Trump Organization, Trump’s real estate business, were falsified to cover it up.
The star witness is likely to be Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, who claims his former boss refunded him $35,000 checks from his personal funds.
Instead of being recorded as a campaign contribution, they were marked as legal expenses in violation of the law.
Extraordinary security was in place at New York Criminal Court ahead of the hearing.
The 77-year-old former president is accused of paying Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about their alleged affair before the 2016 election.
The most surprising moment of Trump’s comments in the hallways was how candidly he spoke today about his strategy, saying, “We want delays, obviously.” I’m running for election again.’
The case is risky for the prosecution since it is based on a theory of combining two laws that has never been tested by a judge.
For Trump to be convicted of the felony, prosecutors would have to prove that he had an “intent to defraud,” which included the intent to commit or conceal a second crime.
Trump’s lawyers will likely attack Cohen, who served three years in prison after admitting to tax crimes, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations in 2018, all in connection with the payment to Daniels.
Daniels herself has said she will testify sometime in March and could reveal embarrassing details about her affair with the former president.
If Trump is convicted, it is unclear whether he will spend any time in jail, as the charges are Class E felonies, the lowest possible under New York state law.
There are also questions about where Trump could serve his sentence, as a conventional prison poses significant security risks.
The hearing took place at the same time an Atlanta court was hearing arguments about misconduct by prosecutors who accused him of election interference in a separate case.
Trump turns toward the cameras as he leaves Trump Tower Thursday morning before the hearing.
He raised his fist to the photographers and tourists waiting as he left his New York residence.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is accused of having an inappropriate personal relationship with the lead prosecutor.
Trump and 18 others are charged with conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.
Trump faces a third trial in Washington for attempting to subvert the election results, but the date has been postponed indefinitely while the Supreme Court considers whether he had presidential immunity.
The fourth criminal trial will take place in Florida in May and relates to Trump’s illegal retention of classified material after he left office in 2021.
Trump has denied wrongdoing in all cases.