The Daily Fuckup

Donald Trump’s lawyers tried on March 11 to put the Manhattan hush-money trial on hold while the Supreme Court considers whether presidential immunity shields him in a separate federal case. The defense asked Judge Juan Merchan to push back the trial because the justices’ ruling could affect how prosecutors use certain evidence and how the court handles claims tied to Trump’s presidency.

The request came with jury selection already on the calendar and after pretrial-motion deadlines had passed. Merchan responded that the filing was late and that any additional pretrial motions would require his permission. He did not issue a ruling that day on whether the trial itself should be delayed.

The filing tries to link two cases that are moving on different tracks. Trump’s lawyers are arguing that the Supreme Court’s eventual immunity ruling in Washington could have consequences in New York, including for evidence they say may involve official acts. That is a legal theory worth preserving for appeal, but the timing is a different problem. Once a case is this close to trial, a judge has much less reason to reopen the schedule for an argument that could have been raised earlier.

That makes the March 11 motion less a courtroom surprise than another attempt to bend the calendar. It also set up a later ruling in which Merchan went further and rejected the delay request as untimely, saying Trump’s team had long had chances to raise the issue before filing. But on March 11, the record was narrower: the defense asked for a pause, and the judge flagged the lateness and tightened control over future motions.