Trump’s Trials in 2024: Where They Stand and What to Expect

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UPDATE: Former President Donald Trump can no longer delay or dismiss what has been dubbed his “financial silence” affair. Barring any last-minute interventions, the trial will begin on April 15.

For Donald Trump, the political activities that accompany a re-election bid will overlap with an ongoing and busy judicial calendar.

Before Trump, no former U. S. president had been indicted. He is charged with 91 counts in 4 felon cases, as well as being involved in two civil lawsuits that can have massive monetary consequences.

Trump has pleaded not guilty or denied any wrongdoing in those cases, and his legal team has sought to dismiss, discredit or delay upcoming trials, adding the 2020 election interference case, which he hoped to postpone until after Election Day.

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These attempts through his lawyers come with an attempt to say that Trump is protected from prosecution because his movements or comments were part of his “official duties” when he was president. A federal appeals committee ruled Feb. 6 that he was not immune. however, the Supreme Court set April 22 for oral arguments to review the decision, which affected the timeline of the trial in Washington.

Here’s an advisor on all the key hearings, trials, and dates for any and all state and federal cases Trump will face this year.

What is it?

Trump was indicted on March 30, 2023, on charges of falsifying business records. These were secret bills drafted in Trump’s name to cover up alleged relationships ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The indictment made Trump the first former president to face criminal charges.

Test start date: April 15

READ MORE: New York Investigation Into Trump’s Involvement in Secret Affair Explained

What are the fees?

Trump faces 34 charges as part of the secrecy program that aimed to silence allegations of extramarital affairs (adding an additional $130,000 to Stephanie Clifford, the adult film actress known as Stormy Daniels) that emerged in his first presidential campaign. The indictment points to how the secret payments were made. , made through Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen, were recorded as valid business expenses.

Who filed the case? Trump was indicted through a grand jury in the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

What’s for that matter?

Trump returned to court on March 25 for a pretrial hearing in the secrecy case. His lawyers asked for more time after new documents from a similar federal investigation were revealed in the discovery process.

The ruling remained unmoved during arguments for longer and was rejected when Trump’s legal team accused Manhattan prosecutors of misconduct without offering evidence.

“They are literally charging the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and others involved in this case with procedural misconduct and seeking to make me complicit in it,” said Judge Merchan, who continually raised his voice during the hearing. “And he doesn’t have a single quote to help that position. “

Merchan said it’s possible Trump’s defense team has requested the documents sooner. At the end of the hearing, the ruling set April 15 as the start date for the trial in the New York case.

Following the decision, Trump called the case an act of “election interference. “

“This is a case that maybe started three and a half years ago. And now they’re fighting for days because they need to prove it in the election,” the former president said in the courtroom. “This is election interference. ” That’s all. An electoral interference and it’s a disgrace,” the former president said.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the allegations were politically motivated. When his legal team tried to have the fees ignored in October, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office backed down, saying it was the former president’s crusade to avoid consequences.

Trump said that “because he’s running for president lately, the ordinary regulations of law and criminal procedure deserve to be implemented here. “That argument, prosecutors wrote in a 99-page filing, “is necessarily an attempt to evade criminal responsibility. “because it is “politically powerful. “

Another thing to note in this case: Is Bragg’s workplace seeking to prove that there is an intent to “commit or cover up” some other crime with Trump’s actions, which would elevate misdemeanor charges to felonies?Prosecutors did not specify a secondary offense in the indictment, but it may simply be a violation of federal election law, which Trump’s legal team has argued the prosecutor’s workplace cannot prosecute.

What is it?

A 2022 lawsuit alleged that Trump, through his companies, particularly inflated the value of his assets, such as his Trump Tower home in New York City, to impose more favorable terms on banks and insurance agencies.

The closing arguments in the civil fraud case came on Jan. 11, when Trump gave an impromptu speech claiming that the ruling was biased and that the fees were false, even though the ruling prevented him from making closing arguments.

On Feb. 16, Judge Arthur Engoron ordered the former president and his co-defendants to pay $364 million in fines for the years-long scheme involving fraudulent monetary claims. The judge’s ruling also prohibits Trump from running a business in New York State for 3 years, with certain restrictions:

In his 92-page decision, Engoron was tough on Trump and his co-defendants in the civil fraud case.

Since the verdict was handed down, the civil fraud judgment has totaled $457 million, with interest added daily to the total amount.

Trump’s lawyers have asked an appeals court to halt New York state’s collection of the $500 million bond, raising “insurmountable difficulties” in raising the cash. On March 25, the appeals court accepted bail of less than $175 million, granting Trump financial remainder in the case.

READ MORE: Full Civil Fraud Trial Slaps Over $350 Million in Fine on Trump

Engoron wrote that while Trump and his co-defendants “committed homicide or arson” or “robbed a bank,” he believes “their entire lack of remorse and repentance borders on the pathological. “

“Donald Trump is Bernard Madoff,” Engoron wrote. Instead, they take a stance of “not seeing evil, not hearing evil, saying nothing” that the evidence disproves. »

What are the fees?

This is a civil matter, not a criminal one, so there are no charges. However, this case cited several examples of advertising fraud in which the Trump Organization used false monetary statements to protect business transactions and loans with banks. Engoron ruled in September, before the trial began, that Trump had committed fraud. Once that case is established, the court will rule on six other issues, adding whether the defendants falsified business records, committed insurance fraud, or participated in a conspiracy.

Who else has been charged?

In addition to Trump, several of his business affiliates are on the case, joining two of his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.

On March 4, the Trump Organization’s former financial leader, Allen Weisselberg, 76, pleaded guilty to lying under oath in his testimony in the civil fraud case. He was sentenced to five months in prison. Last year he already spent 100 days in prison after being convicted in an unrelated tax fraud case.

Who is the case? Letitia James, New York Attorney General

READ MORE: Read the full lawsuit filed against Trump by New York Attorney General alleging fraud

What’s for that matter?

As Trump seeks to appeal the verdict, the appeals court’s ruling on the collection of the $454 million is a welcome respite for the former president, who now has 10 days to discharge the smaller $175 million bond.

In a March 18 court filing, Trump’s lawyers said it was complicated to get bail for the full $454 million judgment, adding that they had been denied bail through more than 30 surety companies.

The appeals court’s ruling also means Trump would not possibly have to pay the full $454 million fine while his appeal is pending.

Trial start date? Currently on hold, while the Supreme Court adjudicates Trump’s immunity requests.

What are the fees?

Trump charged with 4 counts:

READ MORE: Read the full indictment of Trump for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election

Who else has been charged?

Only Trump has been charged in the federal indictment, even though there are six anonymous co-conspirators: four lawyers, a Justice Department official and a political consultant. According to the indictment, five of the co-conspirators are believed to be Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Sidney Powell, Jeffrey Clark and Kenneth Chesebro.

Who filed the case? The case was brought by special counsel Jack Smith, with an indictment from a Washington grand jury.

What’s for that matter?

Trump’s lawyers have asked federal authorities to dismiss the case, arguing that the former president enjoys immunity for all official acts performed while in office. A district ruling ruled that Trump did not enjoy immunity, and his lawyers appealed. Chutkan ordered Smith in January not to register any new motions while the immunity factor is being considered.

Smith asked the Supreme Court to rule on the case, but the Supreme Court refused. After a federal appeals committee ruled that Trump had no immunity from charge, Trump’s appeal will now be heard through the Supreme Court.

The trial in Washington is on hold until the justices make a decision. In the unsigned Feb. 28 order, the justices said they were not expressing “an opinion on the merits” of the case. Instead, they focus on whether and to what extent. A former president can “enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct allegedly involving official acts during his or her term of office. “

Trump’s lawyers hope a lengthy appeals proceeding could delay the trial date, potentially beyond the 2024 election.

What is it?

Trump was indicted in August for allegedly participating in a broad effort to overturn the effects of the 2020 election in Georgia.

Trial start date: Prosecutors proposed August 5.

What are the fees?

Trump was first indicted on thirteen counts, including extortion, which is usually used to prosecute criminal organizations. On March 13, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee dismissed three of the charges against Trump related to soliciting public officials to violate their oath.

Others included:

Who else has been charged?

In addition to Trump, prosecutors have charged 18 accomplices. Four co-defendants pleaded guilty, including Scott Hall, a bail bondsman from Georgia, as well as Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis, three of Trump’s lawyers. Prosecutors also charged the former White House leader. Mark Meadows, Trump’s former private attorney Rudy Giuliani, and former Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Clark as part of the indictment.

READ MORE: Who Is Charged Along With Trump in Georgia Election Case?

Who is the case?

A grand jury indicted Trump and the others in a case brought through Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, the lead prosecutor for Georgia County, which includes Atlanta.

What’s for that matter?

Trump was jailed in August, but posted his $200,000 bail and left the same day.

McAfee dismissed three of the charges against Trump in March, citing a lack of detail about the allegations.

“They are not giving defendants enough data to intelligently prepare their defense,” McAfee wrote. But he told Willis he could simply request a new indictment, giving him six months to resubmit the case to a grand jury, regardless of the statute of limitations.

Willis reached plea agreements with four of the other 18 co-defendants, which is not unusual in extortion cases. Willis could seek more guilty pleas, hoping that testimony from other conspirators will help the case against the former president.

Trump’s lawyers have asked a federal appeals court to dismiss the case, arguing that as a former president, he enjoys immunity from criminal prosecution for “official acts” he performed while in office. case in an attempt to avoid trial altogether or postpone it until after the 2024 election. In addition, one of Trump’s co-defendants filed a motion accusing Willis and prosecutor Nathan Wade of off-line dating and embezzling money.

WATCH: Fani Willis’ Georgia Election Case Will Continue and What You Need to Know About Trump’s Trials

In a Feb. 2 court filing, Willis stated that he had a “personal relationship” with Wade, but said that would impede his ability to pursue Trump’s case.

Earlier, Willis claimed Wade’s ex-wife was “obstructing and interfering” in the case against Trump. Citing bank documents in the divorce case, the Washington Post reported that there was evidence that Wade paid for two flights with Willis.

Wade resigned on March 15 after McAfee ruled that, given the appearance of wrongdoing, either he or Willis would drop the case. The ruling did not find a clash of interests.

“As the case progresses, moderate members of the public may simply wonder if the monetary exchanges continued, resulting in some form of gaining advantages for the district attorney, or even if romantic dating resumed,” McAfee wrote in his ruling.

What is it?

Trump was indicted on June 8, 2023, for illegally accumulating national security documents after leaving the White House and lying to FBI officials seeking to retrieve them from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Test Start Date:

May 20 in Fort Pierce, Fla. , about an hour from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. An initial request to postpone the trial was denied, U. S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said she would reconsider the trial date at a lengthy hearing on March 1.

WATCH: What’s the trial date in Trump’s classified documents case for the 2024 election

What are the fees?

Trump faces 41 federal charges due to mishandling classified documents, obstruction of justice and making false statements, adding 3 more counts from a superseding indictment dated July 2023:

The indictment included photographs of boxes filled with sensitive information in other rooms at Mar-a-Lago. Prosecutors said that while tens of thousands of people stopped at the “active social club” in the months after Trump’s departure, “he nevertheless kept the documents in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office, his bedroom and a garage. “Prosecutors accused Trump of moving some boxes before a stopover agreed with the FBI to retrieve the documents, and then told him to do so. Delete the security camera footage that captured the motion.

Who is the case? Special Counsel Jack Smith and the Department of Justice, with a grand jury indictment

Who else has been charged?

Trump aide Waltine Nauta faces 8 counts, in addition to conspiracy to obstruct justice, and Mar-a-Lago asset manager Carlos de Oliveira faces 4 counts.

What’s for that matter?

The timing of this case has been a major sticking point. Federal prosecutors have accused Trump’s legal team of attempting to “intentionally derail” the timing of this rush trial. Trump’s lawyers have argued that they would like more time to prepare for the proceedings as the former president faces three other criminal cases opposing him.

In her nine-page order denying a request by Trump’s legal team to postpone the trial date, Cannon, who was appointed by Trump in 2020, also mentioned the demanding situations posed by the “unusually high volume” of evidence in overlapping cases, and let her go. The ability to postpone or not to postpone trial.

What is it?

On Jan. 26, a New York jury owed publisher E. Jean Carroll by the former president is facing another $83. 3 million in compensatory and punitive damages for defaming the former recommendations columnist when he called her a liar after she accused him of sexual assault.

A jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation against Carroll last May. A day after he was ordered to pay her $5 million in damages, the former president appeared on CNN and denied knowing Carroll and belittled her. In response, Carroll filed an amended complaint that included those comments.

What are the fees?

The civil lawsuit first sought at least $10 million in additional damages for Trump’s comments. In September, a ruling ruled that Trump’s comments about Carroll were defamatory and that the second defamation case would only be about the additional amount he would have to pay. pay, if any.

Who filed the case? E. Jean Carroll and her attorneys, first under the New York Adult Survivors Act

What’s for that matter?

In the immediate aftermath of the verdict, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, calling the verdict “absolutely ridiculous” and an attack on his First Amendment rights. He would appeal the decision.

At the outset of this trial, U. S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said on Jan. 6 that Trump’s lawyers simply can’t claim the former president didn’t rape Carroll. The columnist testified at the first trial that Trump raped her in a fitting room. The jury found insufficient evidence that rape had occurred and found misdemeanor sexual abuse. On Jan. 23, Kaplan issued an order reaffirming that neither side could simply make submissions about the assault, as he had already established that it had taken place.

READ MORE: Judge threatens to oust Trump for speaking loudly as E. Jean Carroll testifies

“The physical facts related to the alleged sexual assault have already been determined and this trial will not be a ‘rehash’ of the previous trial,” Kaplan wrote.

Carroll re-testified in this second case on Jan. 18, detailing what her life was like after coming forward.

“I’m better known and hated by a lot more people,” Carroll said in her cross-examination.

Trump did not attend the first trial, but appeared in the courtroom earlier this month. On Jan. 17, he was reprimanded for the ruling, which nearly expelled the former chief justice for incapacity for himself. On Jan. 25, Trump took the stand to testify for less than five minutes. The ruling warned Trump that he may not restart his previous civil trial, in which he was convicted of assaulting Carroll.

Trump tried to delay the case before the federal appeals court in December, but his request was denied.

Trump also tried to sue Carroll for defamation, but that case was dismissed.

During his election campaign in Iowa on Jan. 6, Trump again questioned Carroll’s narrative about sexual assault, saying it was “made up. “

This story is now available and will be updated.

Joshua Barajas is editor of the PBS NewsHour Community Initiative. He is also editor-in-chief and newsletter editor.

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