Trump is scheduled to appear by video link in a Manhattan courtroom for the second hearing of his fraud case. Last month, he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of criminal offences, making him the first incumbent or former US president to be detained and prosecuted.
Trump trial date set for March next year
The date of Trump’s trial has been set, the court hears.It will begin on 25 March next year with jury selection, Justice Juan Merchan says.This is likely to have an impact on his run in the Republican primaries – which are set to take place between February and June next year before the presidential election in November.
Judge warns Trump could face contempt of court charges if he breaches order
Justice Juan Merchan lays down the law to Trump – he says if the former president violates a protective order set down in the case he could face sanctions, including contempt of court.
Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, says the former president understands he needs to comply with the order.
There were concerns that Trump could take evidence in the case – which will be disclosed to his legal team as part of the usual pre-trial procedure – and share it publicly.
The hearing has started – and Trump has appeared via video in the court
Trump is on screen now at the court for his hearing.
The former president, wearing a suit and red tie, is flanked by two American flags and is sitting next to his lawyer.
Trump will be addressed by the judge, Justice Juan Mercha, who will personally make clear to the former president that he cannot publicly disclose certain evidence in the criminal case against him.
Who is Michael Cohen? Trump’s former lawyer at the centre of the hush money allegations
Once Trump’s trusted “fixer”, Michael Cohen is now at the centre of the case against him.
He is a lawyer by training who worked for the Trump Organisation from 2006 to 2017.
He once proudly proclaimed he would “take a bullet” for Trump.
Cohen took the lead in arranging the payment to Ms Daniels, passing it through a corporation he established for the purpose.
He says he was then reimbursed by Trump, whose company logged the payment and related bonuses as “legal expenses”.
A few months earlier, Cohen had also arranged for the publisher of the National Enquirer to make the similar $150,000 payment to Ms McDougal for the rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump.
Cohen made recordings of a conversation in which he and Trump spoke about the arrangement to pay Ms McDougal through the tabloid publisher.
At one point, Trump said: “What do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?”
What time is Trump due at court?
Donald Trump is expected to appear via videolink at New York State Supreme Court at about 2.15pm New York time – which is 7.15pm in the UK.
He will be addressed by the judge, Justice Juan Mercha, who will personally make clear to the former president that he cannot publicly disclose certain evidence in the criminal case against him.
Trump quiet on Truth Social about upcoming case
Trump is usually quite forthcoming when it comes to commenting on legal cases on his social media site Truth Social.
But it appears his focus is on another of his court battles today.
Two of his posts focus on his civil case with E Jean Carroll, whom he was recently found liable for sexually abusing and defaming in the 1990s.
In one of the posts, he repeats his denial that he sexually abused the writer.
He also has time for a post about an upcoming golf tournament at his hotel in Washington DC and comments on the recent Dominion versus Fox News defamation case – which ended with the US broadcaster settling for $787.5million after it aired allegations of rigging by the vote machine company.
Could this case affect Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign?
The backdrop to all of this is that Donald Trump wants to return to the White House.
In November last year, he announced plans to run to become the Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential elections.
He made the announcement from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and said: “America’s comeback starts right now.”
He will return to court in October, before the start of the race to win the Republican nomination.
The race, known as Republican primaries, will be held between February and June next year, though campaigning has already begun, with Trump having held his first rally in March.
His legal team has attempted to delay the trial, but their application was rejected in March.
The request was criticised by the attorney general, who wrote in a response filing to the request: “When the calendar turns over into 2024, Donald J. Trump will be in the midst of a campaign for president.
“Defendants have used his campaign as a reason for delay in both 2016 and 2020. There is no reason to believe 2024 will be any different.”
Of course, if he is convicted, he could also face a prison sentence.
But defence attorney and former Brooklyn prosecutor Arthur Aidala told Insider in April that while prison was a possibility, he added: “I do not see a scenario where Donald Trump spends one minute in jail.”