Benzinga – by Bibhu Pattnaik, Benzinga Staff Writer.
Former President Donald Trump‘s legal team is seeking another delay for his hush-money trial, citing concerns over pretrial publicity and potential bias among Manhattan residents.
His attorneys have argued that extensive media coverage and anti-Trump sentiment in Manhattan make it impossible to assemble a fair jury in April.
According to a motion filed on March 18 and currently under review by New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, Trump’s lawyers contend that the former president’s constitutional right to a fair trial is at risk due to prejudicial pretrial publicity, reported Business Insider.
This latest attempt to postpone Trump’s trial, scheduled for April 15, marks the sixth such request since August, signaling a complex and multi-front effort by Trump’s legal team to delay proceedings.
Trump’s defense has been actively investigating potential biases among potential jurors, pointing to polling data indicating significant negative opinions toward Trump among Manhattan residents.
The defense has argued that such sentiments could compromise the fairness of the trial. Trump’s attorneys have also scrutinized public statements and media appearances of key prosecution witnesses, including Michael Cohen and porn star Stormy Daniels, both of whom have been vocal critics of Trump.
Also Read: Trump Warns Of ‘Death And Destruction’ If Charged In Hush Money Probe
“To anyone who will listen, especially if they are paying, Cohen has and will continue to spew vitriol into the public sphere regarding President Trump, including in the buildup to the potential trial,” the delay motion reads.
Trump’s legal team highlighted Cohen’s social media activity and Daniels’ podcast appearances as potential sources of prejudice against the former president.
Prosecutors, however, remain adamant about proceeding with the trial, dismissing claims of prejudicial publicity and emphasizing the importance of effective jury selection practices.
Despite the defense’s efforts, the judge overseeing the case has also expressed reluctance toward further delays, underscoring the uphill battle Trump’s legal team faces in their bid to postpone the trial.
According to prosecutors, Trump allegedly falsified 34 personal and business documents in an illegal attempt to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. These falsified documents purportedly concealed a $130,000 hush-money payment made to silence Daniels just eleven days before the election.
Trump has pleaded not guilty, maintaining that he is the target of a politically motivated prosecution.
Now Read: Five Ways Trump’s Attorneys Plan To Tackle His Hush Money Case
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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