On Monday, Donald Trump faced setbacks and victories in two separate legal cases in New York, involving hush money payments to a porn star and a civil fraud case. Here’s a breakdown of what’s next for the former U.S. president in each of these cases:
Criminal Case:
In the hush money case, the judge set a trial date for April 15, despite objections from Trump’s lawyers who sought a delay due to late disclosure of documents related to Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer and a crucial prosecution witness.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges of falsifying business records concerning a $130,000 payment Cohen allegedly made to porn star Stormy Daniels on Trump’s behalf. The payment was purportedly made to cover up a sexual encounter Daniels claims to have had with Trump a decade prior, an encounter Trump denies.
With the trial date set, it’s likely a verdict will be reached before the U.S. election on November 5, where Trump hopes to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden for a second time.
Additionally, the judge denied Trump’s attempt to dismiss the 34-count felony indictment following the last-minute disclosure of new evidence, including statements made by Daniels to the FBI.
Trump faces indictment in two other cases related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his handling of classified documents upon leaving office, though legal proceedings have delayed these trials.
Civil Fraud Case:
On the civil front, a mid-level state appeals court granted a pause in the enforcement of a $454 million civil fraud judgment against Trump. However, this pause is contingent upon Trump posting a $175 million bond within 10 days.
The ruling, while not addressing the case’s merits, provides Trump with a financial reprieve as he deals with financial constraints. It allows him time to appeal the February judgment, which found him guilty of fraudulently inflating his net worth to deceive lenders and insurers.
This appeals process could extend for a year or longer, during which Trump’s properties will be safe from seizure by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the case.
Despite these legal battles, Trump maintains his innocence in all four criminal cases and has vowed to post the required bond before the deadline set by the appeals court.
