In a major setback for former President Donald Trump, the judge presiding over his upcoming New York criminal trial has denied his motion to delay the start of proceedings until after the US Supreme Court rules on Trump's claim of presidential immunity. Judge Juan Merchan dismissed the motion on Wednesday, emphasizing its untimeliness and pointing out that Trump's legal team had numerous opportunities to raise the issue earlier.

In his order, Judge Merchan highlighted that Trump's lawyers had months to file a motion regarding the claim of presidential immunity. The court found it implausible that Trump did not address this matter sooner, especially since he had already presented arguments on the same issue in federal court and was well aware that the prosecution intended to introduce pertinent evidence at trial.

The trial, which revolves around hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign, is scheduled to commence with jury selection on April 15. Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, now faces the prospect of going to trial without a definitive ruling from the Supreme Court on his claim of immunity.

Although Judge Merchan previously allowed Trump's lawyers to voice objections to evidence that could be linked to presidential acts during the trial, he did not delve further into the matter in his recent ruling. He explicitly stated that the court was not considering whether the doctrine of presidential immunity could bar the introduction of evidence related to purported official presidential acts in a criminal proceeding.

It is worth noting that Trump filed the motion on March 7 when the trial was originally set to begin on March 25. However, a week later, the trial was postponed until mid-April due to the discovery of a significant volume of documents provided by federal prosecutors.

With the denial of the motion to delay the trial, Trump's legal team now faces the challenge of defending him against the allegations without the potential safeguard of a ruling on presidential immunity from the highest court in the land. As the trial approaches, intense speculation and scrutiny are likely to surround this landmark case, which holds significant implications for both Trump and the American legal system.