New York appeals court rejects Trump's request to postpone hush money trial

By Hakan Copur

NEW YORK (AA) - A New York appeals court has rejected former US President Donald Trump’s request to postpone the first hearing of his case on charges of paying "hush money" to a former adult film star ahead of the 2016 presidential elections.

New York Court of Appeals Judge Lizbeth Gonzalez did not accept Trump's lawyers' request to postpone the hearing, which is set for April 15.

While his lawyers asked that the hearing be postponed in order to move the case to another court, Trump tried to have the case transferred from Manhattan to Staten Island, from the center to the southern edge of New York City.

Gonzalez ruled that there was no reason to postpone the hearing and that it could be held on April 15 as scheduled.

The former president is accused of 34 felony counts related to his alleged involvement in a scheme to pay hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, fearing that her account of an affair with Trump would hurt his chances at the ballot box.

Legal analysts have noted the frequent attempts by Trump to postpone the several different cases against him, in which he faces some 91 charges. They say Trump fears that a conviction in one or more of the cases could damage his bid to take back the White House in elections this Nov. 5.