New York civil fraud trial involving former President Donald Trump temporarily put on hold
A New York state appellate court judge has temporarily halted the civil fraud trial between the New York attorney general’s office and former President Donald Trump. The decision has raised questions about whether the trial will begin as planned next month. Lawyers for Trump, his eldest sons, and the Trump Organization requested the appeals court to slow down the litigation until Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the case, rules on a key issue. The appellate court judge has ordered all briefs to be submitted by September 25, just one week before the $250 million fraud lawsuit is set to go to trial on October 2. The start of the trial may be delayed depending on when the appellate court rules.
In response to the developments, New York Attorney General Letitia James expressed confidence in their case and stated that they will be ready for trial. The trial’s timeline may be influenced by the lower court issue being resolved sooner and if the appeals court agrees, the trial could still start on time.
This case stems from a ruling in June by a New York state appellate panel that favored Trump, stating that the statute of limitations on some of the transactions had expired. The panel ordered Judge Engoron to determine the full range of defendants bound by the tolling agreement. Ivanka Trump was subsequently dismissed from the lawsuit by the appeals court.
Judge Engoron has yet to make a determination regarding the statute of limitations. Both Trump’s lawyers and James’ office have requested Engoron to rule in their favor in pretrial motions. The judge is scheduled to hear oral arguments on these motions on September 22. Trump’s attorneys had previously asked Engoron to pause the trial until a ruling on the statute of limitations is made, but the request was denied. They then appealed to the appellate court, which ultimately put the trial on hold.
The outcome of the September 22 hearing could potentially resolve the statute of limitations issue before the appeals court. The pause in the trial has created uncertainty surrounding its start date and the subsequent proceedings. Both parties involved await further developments and rulings that will determine the course of the trial.
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