New York judge sets Trump trial for March 25, denies request to dismiss Bragg charges in hush-money case
A New York City judge denied former President Trump's request to dismiss charges stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation into hush-money payments ahead of the 2016 presidential election and formally announced the trial will begin next month.
The trial is now scheduled to begin with jury selection on March 25, and Judge Juan Merchan said the trial is expected to last 6 weeks.
Trump appeared in a New York City courtroom Thursday morning for a hearing.
Bragg indicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in April. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Trump and his attorneys sought to have the case dismissed altogether, but Judge Merchan on Thursday denied the request.
Before entering court, Trump blasted Bragg for rising crime in New York City, and the case.
"I'm here for something, it's not a crime, it's election interference and it's being run by Joe Biden's White House," Trump said, calling it a "terrible time for our country. A real dark period."
He added: "This is just a way of hurting me and the election because I'm leading by a lot…If I hadn't run, they would have been extremely happy."
Trump said he should be out campaigning, instead of in court, ahead of the South Carolina primary on Feb. 24.
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The trial will take place just after the Louisiana primary and ahead of April 2, when Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin voters hit the polls to select a GOP nominee.
Bragg alleged Trump "repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election."
The charges are related to alleged hush money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign.
In 2019, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted out of charging Trump related to the payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.
The Bragg indictment was the first against Trump last year. He was then charged in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into classified records, Smith’s investigation into 2020 election interference and Jan. 6 and in Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis' investigation.
Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.
After the hearing Thursday morning, Trump is expected to travel back to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.