February 15, 2024

Donald Trump Will Be the First Former President to Face a Criminal Trial, Judge Rules

Trump’s New York case will begin in March.

Former President Donald Trump appears during a court hearing at Manhattan criminal court.Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo/AP

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A New York judge ruled Thursday that Donald Trump will stand trial in March on charges related to the Stormy Daniels coverup. Assuming the case goes forward as scheduled, Trump will be the first former president ever to be criminally tried. It will also be the first criminal case to slot in place among the complicated judicial calendar Trump is facing in this election year, and it means Trump will almost certainly face a jury before Election Day. In three other jurisdictions—Georgia state court and federal courts in Florida, and Washington, D.C.—Trump has been indicted on charges related to the 2020 elections and his retention of classified documents, but the timetable for those cases remains unclear. 

Trump was in court in New York City on Thursday when Justice Juan Merchan ruled that trial will go forward, with jury selection beginning on March 25. Trump’s attorneys, who sparred with Merchan in court—complaining that the case amounted to “total election interference”—had asked for the whole case to be dismissed. But Merchan was clear the case had to move ahead because none of Trump’s objections were valid. 

The New York case involves 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, stemming from Trump’s 2016 attempts to cover up his alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels several years prior. Trump, who denies any such affair, allegedly paid Daniels hush money to keep the story out of the tabloids, but the money was funneled to Daniels in a way that allegedly violated campaign finance laws. The charges are local criminal charges, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. In theory they could carry prison time as punishment. But even if Trump is found guilty, he would be a first-time offender convicted of a non-violent crime, which would make a prison sentence less likely.

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