In a significant development in former President Donald Trump's upcoming New York criminal trial, a judge has rejected his request to subpoena NBCUniversal for information pertaining to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The subpoena was aimed at obtaining details about the documentary "Stormy," which recently premiered on NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock.

Trump's legal team claimed that they were seeking evidence of collusion between NBCUniversal and Daniels regarding the timing of the documentary's release. They also expressed their desire to obtain any information that could be relevant to Trump's trial, scheduled to commence on April 15.

However, the judge dismissed the subpoena, stating that Trump's claims were speculative and unsupported. The judge declared that the former president's requests were akin to a "fishing expedition." Furthermore, even if the requests were deemed legitimate, the judge contended that they would still be denied due to their violation of state civil rights law, as Trump was seeking unfettered access to the notes and materials of a media organization, NBCUniversal.

Representatives for Trump did not provide an immediate response to the judge's decision, while a spokesperson for NBCUniversal declined to comment.

The "Stormy" documentary, which began streaming on Peacock on March 18, features Daniels speaking out about the increased threats she has faced since Trump's indictment last year. Trump is facing charges of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Daniels during the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the 34 counts.

Daniels has alleged having a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, a claim that Trump vehemently denies.

As Trump's trial draws nearer, this latest development highlights the challenges he faces in gathering evidence to support his defense. The denial of the subpoena reinforces the judge's stance on the importance of media organizations' rights and sets a precedent regarding the scope of access to their materials in criminal cases.