In a recent development, the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's criminal case in New York has rejected his last-minute bid to postpone the start of the trial until after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on Trump's presidential immunity claim. The trial, which is set to begin on April 15, revolves around a "hush money" payment made by one of Trump's attorneys to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.

Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan denied Trump's request on grounds of timeliness, stating that Trump's legal team had ample opportunities to raise the issue before the motion was filed in March. Merchan highlighted that Trump could have addressed the claim of presidential immunity in previous motions filed as early as September 2023 and as late as May 2023.

Furthermore, Merchan pointed out that pre-trial motions should have been filed within 45 days of arraignment, and Trump was arraigned in this case back in April. The judge expressed skepticism regarding the sincerity and true intent behind the motion, stating that Trump had filed it just 17 days prior to the initially scheduled trial date of March 25, 2024.

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsification of business records, all related to reimbursements made to his former attorney Michael Cohen, who paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels. Daniels had claimed to have had an affair with Trump years before the alleged payment. Despite the charges, the former president maintains his innocence and denies any wrongdoing.

The trial, which was previously scheduled to commence on March 25, was delayed due to a dispute between Trump's legal team and federal prosecutors over the late submission of roughly 100,000 documents. Trump's defense sought further delays or the dismissal of the case, accusing the prosecutors of misconduct for the delayed document turnover.

During a recent hearing addressing this issue, Judge Merchan acknowledged the efforts of the prosecutors in going "above and beyond" their required duties, expressing surprise that such delays had occurred.

This legal battle is just one of many that Trump is currently embroiled in, as he continues his run for the White House. In addition to the New York case, there is another pending trial in Florida concerning Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021. Furthermore, his trial in Washington, D.C., where he is accused of plotting to overturn the 2020 election, is on hold pending the Supreme Court's consideration of the presidential immunity issue. Additionally, Trump faces charges in Georgia related to an alleged interference in the election. Notably, the former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges leveled against him in these various cases.