Hush Money Trial Faces New Delay As Trump Appeals To Supreme Court

Former President Donald Trump is seeking to postpone the upcoming hush money trial in New York until the Supreme Court rules on the scope of presidential immunity later this year.

Jury selection for the highly anticipated hush money trial was scheduled to begin later this month, but Trump’s lawyers have filed an 11th-hour motion requesting a delay. Their argument centers on whether statements Trump made while in office relating to the payments can be used as evidence given claims of immunity from prosecution for actions taken in an official capacity.

With only weeks to go, the hush money trial that was set to be Trump’s first criminal case to reach a jury is now in limbo pending a decision from Judge Juan Merchan. Prosecutors are said to want a speedy start to proceedings to hold Trump accountable, having charged him with falsifying business records in connection with hush payments made in 2016 to Stormy Daniels.

The Question of Immunity

The central issue is one of presidential immunity that the Supreme Court will examine in April when it hears arguments in Trump’s separate lawsuit challenging a subpoena for his tax returns. His attorneys assert the high court’s eventual ruling could directly impact what evidence is permissible in the hush money trial regarding statements Trump made while president about Daniels and the payments. As such, they have petitioned Judge Merchan to pause the trial and revisit evidentiary issues after the Supreme Court provides further clarity on the scope and limitations of immunity for a sitting president’s actions.

With the hush money trial now in legal limbo, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office will have to wait at least several more months for a resolution on Trump’s latest bid for delay. But the pressing question of how far presidential immunity can shield a former commander-in-chief from criminal prosecution remains unsettled and could have major ramifications for the case going forward.