Donald Trump has given up on his monthslong fight to move his New York hush-money criminal case to federal court, agreeing to proceed in a state court that he contends is “very unfair” to him.
The former president’s lawyers said in court papers Wednesday that they were dropping an appeal that sought to have a Manhattan federal court take control of the case, which is one of four criminal indictments against him.
The case is scheduled to go to trial in state court on March 25, 2024, though the judge has suggested that could change given Trump’s busy legal calendar.
Trump’s lawyers first asked to move the case to federal court in May, arguing that some of Trump’s alleged conduct amounted to official duties because it occurred in 2017 while he was president. That included checks he purportedly wrote while sitting in the Oval Office.
They appealed in June after U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein ruled that Trump had failed to meet a high legal bar to move the case.
U.S. law allows criminal prosecutions to be moved from state to federal court if they involve actions taken by federal government officials as part of their official duties. Hellerstein ruled that the hush-money case involved a personal matter, not presidential duties.
Trump’s lawyers gave notice that they were dropping the appeal a day before a deadline to file paperwork with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stating why they felt Hellerstein’s ruling should be overturned.
They said they were doing so with prejudice, meaning Trump will not be able to change his mind.
Messages seeking comment were left Trump lawyers Gedalia Stern and Todd Blanche. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment.
Trump pleaded not guilty April 4 in state court to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide reimbursements made to his longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen for his role in paying $130,000 to the porn actor Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an…
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