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Donald Trump’s first criminal trial is now set for April 15, when jury selection will begin in the first criminal case against a former U.S. president.
Judge Juan Merchan in Manhattan state court said Monday — the day the case was supposed to go to trial — that the case will go forward next month. It had been delayed until April 15 after a late production of Michael Cohen-related materials from federal prosecutors. Cohen is a key prosecution witness in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case.
Instead of the case moving forward Monday, Merchan held a hearing on the discovery issue stemming from the late production. Trump was unable to win further delay at the hearing.
The New York case is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump faces, which also include one in Georgia state court and two federal cases in Florida and Washington, D.C. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all of them, and all of them have been delayed to varying degrees for various reasons, as he runs for president for the third time. A presidential victory in November could lead to Trump quashing the federal cases and gaining further delay in the state cases, for which he wouldn’t have the power to pardon himself.
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