(The Center Square) – Jury selection in former President Donald Trump’s hush money case in New York could begin April 15, a judge ruled Monday, setting the stage for the first of Trump’s four criminal trials to begin ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump’s request for a longer delay in the case.
A trial alleging Trump paid hush money to an adult film actress was set to begin Monday, but a last-minute document dump from prosecutors delayed jury selection, which will now start April 15.
Trump pleaded not guilty in April 2023 to 34 felony counts related to charges he paid off Stormy Daniels through a lawyer before the 2016 presidential election and covered it up as a legal expense before being elected president.
Merchan agreed to a 30-day postponement to allow the documents to be reviewed, setting the date of the trial to April 15.
Trump had asked for 90 days to review more than 100,000 pages of documents prosecutors produced last week. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg pushed back on that request, saying many of the documents weren’t relevant.
