As of: April 2, 2024, 3:54 a.m
By: Felix Busjaeger
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The hearing in the hush money trial against former President Donald Trump is scheduled to begin on April 15th. But an expert believes a further delay is possible. © Frank Franklin/AP/dpa
Hush money and other lawsuits: Trump faces further legal trouble. With a radical strategy he could buy himself time before the US election.
New York – Time is against Donald Trump: a hush money trial against the former US president is set to begin in a few days. The focus of the negotiations will be the former US president's relationship with the porn actress Stormy Daniels. The trial was actually supposed to begin in mid-March, but the judge in the trial postponed the start by 30 days at short notice after the defense and prosecution requested a delay.
There are currently four major court cases against Trump in the year of the 2024 US election. However, Trump's lawyers are slowing down the judiciary with countermotions and appeals and are currently delaying further legal trouble. The strategy may be costly for the 77-year-old, but the Republican is buying himself valuable time before the presidential election next November. But this is still in short supply in the Stormy Daniels case. That could tempt Donald Trump to take another, more radical step.
Trump's trial against Stormy Daniels about to begin: Lawyer sees possible way out for ex-president
At the beginning of the year, legal experts were almost unanimous: Donald Trump's legal troubles are giving the top Republican candidate a lot of attention, which the former US president knows how to use for his own purposes. In the meantime, it looked as if Trump's assets could be at risk due to fines, but an IPO actually seems to improve his financial situation. On March 25, an appeals court in the USA even announced that former US President Donald Trump would be given more time to pay a fine worth millions from a fraud trial and that the deposit due would be reduced.
According to an expert, Donald Trump could play another trump card to delay the process in the hush money trial with Stormy Daniels, which is scheduled to start on April 15th and will primarily revolve around a hush money payment of $130,000. Joyce Vance, a former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, wrote on her personal website that Trump may try to fire his lawyers.
Donald Trump in court: further delay possible
“With the trial just two weeks away, Trump is showing increasing signs of desperation,” Vance wrote. Her assessment: “There are also the tried and tested strategies of the desperate: get sick or find a sick or dying family member and fire their lawyers.” However, if Donald Trump were to consider the latter step, he would need strong arguments for this decision. The former US president would have to prove that his lawyers did not adequately represent his interests. Ultimately, a judge would have to recognize the hypothetical dismissal of the lawyers as a reason for delaying the trial.
Alternatively, the judge could also demand that Trump contest the trial with the remaining legal team, said Vance. The US attorney from Alabama also points out that Trump should not delay the firings until the last minute, otherwise he would appear even more untrustworthy.
Donald Trump tricks the judiciary: Ex-president insists on immunity
It has long been rumored that Donald Trump is using his financial resources and subtleties to undermine the US justice system. Sometimes his lawyers flood the public prosecutor's office with new evidence shortly before deadlines or cast doubt on the credibility of state representatives. In the case of the trial surrounding the storming of the Capitol, Trump has meanwhile triggered a fundamental debate about his immunity status as US President. However, a
Politico/Ipsos
poll
in March concluded that most Americans are not convinced by Trump's statement.
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At the end of March, Stanford professor David Alan Sklansky told Der
Spiegel
that the possibility of a prison sentence for Donald Trump still existed. However, several variables would have to come into play for an arrest to actually occur. This is very unlikely, it said. Regarding the Daniels case, he said: "I think that from Trump's point of view it would be a catastrophe if this case went to trial, and he knows that. That's why he tried so hard to delay it." Should Trump in the year of the US election According to Sklansky, if he had to appear in court for the trial, this would be a political nightmare as he would hardly be able to use the public stage to his advantage.
Trump uses assets: processes are delayed – experts are already looking ahead to the 2024 US election
It remains to be seen to what extent Donald Trump will succeed in delaying his trials in the coming weeks. What is fairly certain, however, is that the 77-year-old will continue to try to take advantage of every opportunity. For many observers, the Trump trials now appear to be a paradox: almost a year ago it was said that all defendants would be treated equally in court. But thanks to his wealth, Trump is able to use his delaying strategy to undermine the US legal system.
The Washington Post
also commented a few days ago that Donald Trump is just exploiting his right
: “No matter how much you disapprove of Trump or want his presidential ambitions to fail, every defendant is entitled to due process, including the Opportunity to appeal.” If Trump manages to avoid convictions until he is re-elected as US President, this could further complicate the trials against him. It is suspected that the Republican would use the power of his office to stop the criminal proceedings. It is already known that Trump wants to politicize the Justice Department and replace thousands of employees. (
fbu/dpa)