The Manhattan district attorney’s office urged a judge on Wednesday to deny former President Donald Trump’s request to delay his criminal hush money trial, which is set to begin in less than two weeks, due to the high level of pre-trial publicity.
Prosecutors contended that much of the exposure Trump’s lawyers complained about was his own doing.
“[D]efendant’s own incessant rhetoric is generating significant publicity, and it would be perverse to reward defendant with an adjournment based on media attention he is actively seeking,” said associate district attorney Matthew Colangelo in response to Trump’s motion.
Trump’s attorneys claimed that “potential jurors in Manhattan have been exposed to huge amounts of biased and unfair media coverage relating to this case,” but prosecutors stated that a proper jury selection procedure can result in an impartial jury.
“Defendant thus fails to demonstrate that the publicity surrounding this case is prejudicial at all, much less so inflammatory as to jeopardize the fundamental fairness of the trial,” he said.
This is Trump’s eighth attempt to postpone the start of the trial, which is scheduled to begin on April 15 with jury selection.
Trump has pleaded not guilty on 34 counts of falsifying company documents. Prosecutors allege the former president attempted to conceal long-denied allegations of an affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels from voters before the 2016 election.
The previous president has denied any wrongdoing.
