A New York judge has dismissed Donald Trump's attempts to have charges against him, involving hush money payments to a porn star, dropped. This paves the way for the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president, scheduled to begin on March 25, as reported by news agency Agence France Presse (AFP).
Simultaneously, Trump's representatives attended a separate hearing in Atlanta, seeking to disqualify the lead prosecutor bringing charges of election fraud and racketeering against Trump.
These legal proceedings are among four criminal cases faced by the Republican figurehead as he campaigns to reclaim the White House. His legal teams are striving to delay the actual trials until after the November 5 vote.
Trump, leveraging the media attention on his legal challenges to energize his supporters and criticize Democratic opponent Joe Biden, reiterated his belief that the charges were an attempt to harm his election prospects.
"How can you run for election if you are sitting in a courthouse in Manhattan all day long," he expressed upon arrival, as reported by AFP.
During the hearing, Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump's plea for dismissal or delay, affirming that jury selection would commence as scheduled in late March.
Trump's legal team argued that he would not receive a fair trial in New York due to a previous jury awarding $83 million to E. Jean Carroll, a writer whom Trump was found to have sexually assaulted and defamed. The judge dismissed this argument, along with claims by Trump's lawyers regarding biased media coverage.
"Given all the information I have before me, we are moving ahead to jury selection on March 25," stated Judge Merchan, as reported by AFP. Trump, wearing his trademark red tie and a dark suit, appeared restless during the proceedings.
The former president faces 34 counts of accounting fraud related to payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors allege that Trump illegally concealed payments to his lawyer, Michael Cohen, to reimburse him for silencing stories about Trump's alleged extramarital affairs.
In Atlanta, Trump's lawyers also represented him in a case where he is accused of conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. The hearing aimed to have District Attorney Fani Willis disqualified over an alleged relationship with another prosecutor.
Trump's legal challenges may persist on Friday, with a potential ruling in his civil fraud trial, where he is accused of inflating property values. In this case, he could face a payment of up to $370 million and a ban from conducting business in New York state. Additionally, another potential trial alleges conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election in Washington.
Trump has used these legal battles to reinforce claims of victimization as he seeks a return to the White House. The hush money case dates back to the closing days of the 2016 election when Trump secured an unexpected win against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. A New York grand jury indicted Trump in March 2023 over payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels, and the trial is set to unfold in March 2024.