(New York) New York justice on Friday granted a temporary reprieve to Donald Trump in his civil trial since Monday for fraud, by suspending for the moment the partial dismantling of the former president’s real estate empire in New York the United States.
The Republican billionaire, favorite in the polls for his party’s primaries for the 2024 presidential election, filed an appeal on Wednesday to stop his trial before a court of first instance called the “Supreme Court of New York”.
The hearings, without a jury, but in the presence of Mr. Trump, began Monday October 2, but were preceded on September 26 by a surprise summary decision from Judge Arthur Engoron concluding “repeated fraud” by the Trump Organization group and ordering the withdrawal of business licenses in New York State from Donald Trump and two of his two sons, Don Jr. and Eric.
In a ruling from an appeals court in New York on Friday, made public by the judicial press, justice refused to suspend the trial, but decided to “suspend the implementation of the cancellation of commercial licenses” and the confiscation of Trump family companies.
It is a partial victory for the former president, who obtains a respite in the partial dismantling of his real estate group ordered by Judge Engoron last week.
His colleague, appeals judge Peter Moulton, listened on Friday to Mr. Trump’s lawyers and representatives of the plaintiff, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking $250 million in reparations.
The real estate empire “is owned and controlled by (Trump). Once it’s dissolved, it’s dissolved. It’s chaos and it’s chaos now,” argued a defender of Donald Trump, Christopher Kise, according to ABC television, present at the court of appeal.
Opposite, the representative of Mme James, Judy Vale, argued that “there was absolutely no legal basis to provisionally suspend a trial that had already been underway for a week.”
Donald Trump spent nearly three days at the Manhattan courthouse, in the courtroom and in the hallways with the press.
Prosecutor James mocked him Wednesday for his “spectacle” and his “political stunt (and) fundraising operation.” In return, he called this African-American magistrate and elected representative of the Democratic Party “corrupt” and “racist”.
She reaffirmed that “justice will prevail” in this trial, which will resume on Tuesday.