Trump’s Stall Tactics Dismissed: N.Y. Appeals Judge Pushes Ahead with Hush Money Trial!

In a significant setback for former President Donald Trump, a New York appeals judge has ruled out the possibility of delaying the hush money trial associated with Trump. This pivotal decision brings Trump one step closer to facing legal consequences in connection to payments allegedly made to suppress negative stories about him during the 2016 election campaign. At the heart of the matter were the payoffs allegedly given to two women who claimed they’d had affairs with Trump: adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, stated that he arranged these payments on Trump’s instruction, aiming to prevent damage to his election bid. Earlier, Trump’s attorneys had sought a stay on the proceedings, arguing that a civil case should not proceed at the same time as a criminal investigation being carried out by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. The criminal investigation and the civil lawsuit both encompass issues related to these payoff arrangements. Accordingly, Trump’s attorneys emphasized the constitutional privilege against self-incrimination, highlighting that any testimony from Trump might detrimentally influence the pending criminal investigation against him. They contended that these parallel proceedings posed risks that wrongfully impacted Trump’s Fifth Amendment rights. The appeal was brought before State Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Schecter, who rejected the attempt to delay the hush-money trial. In her ruling, Schecter underlined that no formal charges had been filed against Trump in the criminal inquiry which could potentially result in self-incrimination. The judge argued that there was considerable doubt that the factual scenario Trump’s attorneys posed would actually occur. Furthermore, the court noted that civil and criminal proceedings typically progress simultaneously, frequently without violating an individual’s constitutional rights. Cohen, who pled guilty to numerous charges, including campaign finance violations, tax evasion, and lying to Congress, has already served part of his prison sentence. His admitted felonies, according to court papers, were carried out in coordination with and at the direction of Trump, known in the filings as Individual-1. This decision to push forward with the hush-money trial comes as Trump grapples with myriad legal challenges, including inquiries into his business practices, potential tax fraud, voting improprieties, and other accusations stemming from his time in office. In conclusion, though the former president’s lawyers continue to employ delay tactics, the courts have shown that justice demands a thorough investigation into potential misconduct, regardless of the individuals involved. In her ruling, Justice Schecter made it abundantly clear that the constitutional rights of Trump, like every other American, must be safeguarded. However, these rights should not be manipulated to prevent or delay due process of legal proceedings.