A Manhattan judge dismissed Donald Trump’s plea to postpone his April 15 hush money trial until a Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity claims in another case. Judge Juan M. Merchan criticized the timing of Trump’s March 7 motion as insincere, pointing out missed opportunities to present the immunity issue earlier.

Trump’s legal team sought an indefinite delay of the New York trial, pending the resolution of his immunity claim in a Washington, D.C., case concerning election interference. Merchan had previously reprimanded Trump’s lawyers for a late filing, questioning the sincerity of their motion.

Trump asserts immunity from prosecution for actions deemed official during his presidency. This claim is linked to the Supreme Court’s upcoming April 25 hearing on related issues. The immunity debate first emerged in Trump’s Washington criminal case, focusing on attempts to contest the 2020 election outcome.

Despite requests for further trial delays citing media coverage and concerns over impartiality in Democratic-leaning Manhattan, prosecutors countered that such publicity, partly fueled by Trump himself, wouldn’t diminish. They argued for a fair jury selection process to mitigate bias concerns.

The hush money trial, marking the first of Trump’s criminal cases to face a jury, involves accusations of falsifying business records to conceal payments made to silence negative stories during the 2016 campaign. This includes a payment to Stormy Daniels over an alleged affair, which Trump denies.

Trump’s defense argues that some evidence, including social media posts made during his presidency, are protected by official act immunity. This notion was previously dismissed by a federal judge, maintaining the trial in state court.