New York –

A New York judge on Wednesday rejected Donald Trump’s request to postpone the April 15 trial on charges of hush-money payments to a porn star until the U.S. Supreme Court reviews presidential immunity in a separate criminal case. claim.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the former US president’s argument on April 25 that he is immune from federal prosecution in his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden.

In March, his defense attorneys in the New York case asked Judge Juan Merchan to delay the trial until the review was completed, arguing it was relevant as prosecutors seek to provide evidence of Trump’s actions from 2017 to Evidence of statements made during the 2021 presidency.

In Wednesday’s court ruling, Mercha said Trump waited too long to raise the issue.

“Defendants had numerous opportunities to assert presidential immunity well before March 7, 2024,” Merchan wrote.

Trump’s attorney, Todd Branch, declined to comment.

Trump, the Republican candidate challenging Biden in the Nov. 5 election, has pleaded not guilty on all four criminal indictments he faces.

The New York case may be the only one heard before the election.

He is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment from his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to porn star Stormy Daniels for his role in the 2016 election. Remaining silent about alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.

Trump has denied having any such contact with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

Trump also sought to delay the trial because heavy news coverage of the case led potential jurors to believe he was already guilty. Merchan has yet to rule on the request.

Prosecutors from the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, which brought charges against Trump in 2023, opposed the request in a court filing made public Wednesday.

They argue that Trump himself creates much of the news coverage and that they will be able to weed out biased jurors through the jury selection process.

The Supreme Court’s decision to take up Trump’s appeal in a federal election interference case is a major victory for him and delays the trial for at least several months.

He also faces a state case in Georgia for trying to overturn the 2020 election results, and a federal case in Florida over his handling of sensitive government documents after leaving office in 2021. The cases also lack firm trial dates.

No U.S. president has ever faced a criminal trial.