Trump fraud trial live updates: Trump wants trial paused while he appeals judge's ruling
New York Attorney General Letitia James argued that Donald Trump's legal team is trying to "sow chaos" by pausing the ongoing trial, and that a pause would risk creating a "cascade of delays" to Trump's multiple legal matters, according to a letter filed by the AG after Trump sought to stay the proceedings.
Engoron, in last week's ruling, ordered the cancellation of Trump's business licenses in New York after finding that he had committed fraud in his business dealings.
"Defendants cannot come close to demonstrating that the equities or the merits favor the truly extraordinary relief of upending an ongoing trial midstream," James wrote.
James argued that the request to pause the trial while awaiting the appeal of the judge's partial summary judgment issued last week would be unreasonably disruptive to both parties and the witnesses scheduled to testify in the case.
"And tellingly, they waited until after Mr. Trump decided to stop attending the trial," the letter said. "Defendants have thus sought to interrupt trial midcourse in a highly disruptive manner, and this Court should deny an interim stay on that basis alone."
James also accused Trump's legal team of attempting to "play one court against the other," by pitting his civil matter against the schedule of Trump's other pending cases.
In their application for a stay, Trump's lawyers argue that Engoron's order was "unprecedented," incorrectly decided, and unfairly punitive.
Warning that the consequences of Engoron's order would do "severe and irreparable harm" to not only defendant but also "innocent nonparties and employees who depend on the affected entities for their livelihoods," the lawyers asked for an immediate pause of the trial.
"It is respectfully submitted that an immediate stay of enforcement of Supreme Court's decision and order is necessary to prevent irreparable harm pending resolution of Appellants' application to correct a grave miscarriage of justice," the application says.
The former president, over the next seven months, faces criminal trials in the Georgia election interference case, the federal election interference case, the New York hush money case, and the federal classified documents case.
The former president, over the next seven months, faces criminal trials in the Georgia election interference case, the federal election interference case, the New York hush money case, and the federal classified documents case.
