Donald Trump’s anticipated first criminal trial, set to commence on Monday, faces a significant delay as his legal team seeks a lengthy postponement and potential dismissal of charges. Scheduled as a pre-trial hearing, Judge Juan Merchan will address discovery issues in New York, leading to the trial’s postponement until at least mid-April. The charges, brought by the Manhattan district attorney, pertain to Trump’s alleged falsification of business documents related to hush money payments to Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, regarding an alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

The delay stems from the turnover of over 100,000 new documents by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, relating to Cohen’s 2018 prosecution. Trump’s legal team contends that this new information could exonerate the former president, necessitating a minimum of 90 days for thorough review. The trial postponement, per Merchan’s directive, sets a potential start date for April 15, as efforts persist to delay all four of Trump’s pending criminal trials until after the November election.