Trump request to delay hush-money trial denied for third time

Former President Donald Trump's request to delay his hush money criminal trial was denied Wednesday, marking the third time this week his lawyers' attempts to delay the trial have failed.

Trump's arguments for the delay hinged on three reasons: that Judge Juan M. Merchan should be recused; the requirements to file pre-motion letters were too restrictive; and the defense should be permitted to argue presidential immunity as a defense.

Lawyers from the district attorney's office and the court administration argued against a delay, calling Trump's arguments meritless. The court's attorney said Merchan does not stand to benefit from the outcome of the trial.

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The former president's lawyers filed paperwork on Wednesday asking the state's mid-level appeals court to intervene and to issue an order preventing jury selection from starting as scheduled. Paperwork related to Trump's latest appeal was sealed and no documents were publicly available.

A docket listing shows that Wednesday's action was framed as a fresh attempt to sue Merchan under a state law known as Article 78 that allows judges to be sued over some judicial decisions.

An appeals court judge was expected to hear arguments at an emergency hearing Wednesday afternoon.

One appeals court judge on Monday rejected Trump's bid to delay the trial while he seeks to move it out of Manhattan. A different judge on Tuesday denied a request, framed as part of a lawsuit against Merchan, that the trial be delayed while Trump fights a gag order imposed on him in recent weeks.

Trump has separately demanded that Merchan step aside from the case, accusing him of bias and a conflict of interest,