Donald Trump's criminal trial stemming from a 2016 hush money payment to a porn star will start in April, after a 30-day delay granted by the judge after the former US president said late disclosure of evidence was hurting his preparation.
Justice Juan Merchan's decision to delay the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president marks another victory for Trump, who has sought to slow down proceedings in his various legal entanglements as he prepares to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election.
The case in New York state court in Manhattan, which had been due to start on March 25, was the first of four criminal indictments brought against Trump last year. While none of the other three cases have firm trial dates, the delay to the New York trial could complicate scheduling the others.
In a court filing earlier, prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office said they were ready to proceed to trial on March 25 but did not oppose a 30-day delay to make sure Trump had a chance to review the new material.
