Trump attends New York court hearing as judge orders criminal trial to proceed next month

The judge presiding over Donald Trump's New York criminal trial on Thursday denied his bid to dismiss the charges against him and ordered his trial to proceed as scheduled next month.

The judge presiding over Donald Trump's New York criminal trial on Thursday denied his bid to dismiss the charges against him and ordered his trial to proceed as scheduled next month.

The "defendant's motions to dismiss have been denied," Judge Juan Merchan told the packed Manhattan courtroom, which included the former president at the defense table. "We will move ahead with jury selection on March 25th."

Trump attorney Todd Blanche told the judge that moving ahead with trial on that date would be a "great injustice" given his other legal cases, an argument the judge batted aside. "You knew about this case," he told Blanche. The lawyer maintained that date would be "election interference" because of the presidential primaries that month.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo noted Blanche had previously told his office the March 25 date would “minimize disruption” to his client because there are only a few primaries during that time, and called his current stance part of "a continued pattern to evade accountability."

Trump faces 34 felony charges in the case, which centers on allegations he falsified business records to cover up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office brought the charges almost a year ago.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-new-york-hush-money-trial-rcna138596

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