An appellate judge in New York on Monday denied an emergency motion by former President Donald Trump to change the venue of his upcoming criminal trial from Manhattan.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in the 2024 election, has been indicted in New York on 34 state felony counts related to his alleged falsification of business records to conceal a payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels regarding an alleged extramarital affair with her. With his trial set to begin on April 15, Trump on Monday moved the New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Division to change the trial’s venue — claiming that he couldn’t receive a fair trial in the Democratic-leaning borough of Manhattan — which the court denied in a summary ruling. (RELATED: ‘Unacceptable’: Trump Team Files Motion To Replace Judge In Hush Money Trial)
“Defendant’s application for a stay of trial…pending the determination of defendant’s motion for change of venue, is denied,” wrote Associate Justice Lizbeth González of the Appellate Division’s 1st Department in the summary ruling. Unless Trump appeals González’s decision to the New York Court of Appeals — the highest court in the state and the final stage of appeal — his trial will be held in Manhattan.
Just in: Trump’s bid for emergency relief to halt trial ~ for change of venue ~ is denied.
Gag order motion comes tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/iGy1EiJRHQ
— Frank G. Runyeon (@frankrunyeon) April 8, 2024
The denial is the latest in a series of legal setbacks for Trump in the case. On Friday, Acting Justice Juan Merchan of the New York Supreme Court’s Trial Division denied Trump’s motion to subpoena NBC Universal for documents regarding Daniels that it allegedly possesses following its production of a film about her, which Trump had argued was important to his defense in the case.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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