Donald Trump before the New York courts for two crucial deadlines. The former President of the United States, indicted in four criminal cases and already sentenced to very heavy fines in two civil trials, faces a judge in Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday March 25. The latter, with whom he normally has an appointment at 9:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. GMT), must set a new date for his historic trial in a case of payments to an adult film actress.

Also this Monday, before the same New York State justice system, the real estate magnate and conservative populist tribune must provide a guarantee that he will pay nearly half a billion dollars in fines to which he was convicted in civil court, with his sons Eric and Don Jr., for financial fraud within their real estate empire Trump Organization in the 2010s.

At the risk of seeing their real estate assets and bank accounts seized by local attorney general Letitia James who took them to court in October 2022 until having them convicted by New York judge Arthur Engoron on February 16.

If Donald Trump does not provide bail covering at least $454 million in fines plus interest, "his image will change radically in the eyes of many people because he has always presented himself as a successful billionaire", summarizes for the 'AFP Andrew Weissmann, former federal prosecutor and author of a book on the indictments of the ex-president.

Also read: Truth Social: Donald Trump's surprise financial lifeline?

Trump denounces “totally corrupt” magistrate

Under pressure, the former Republican tenant of the White House (2017-2021), who dreams of returning there on January 20, 2025, again denigrated Saturday, in capital letters on the Truth Social network, the prosecutor James and Judge Engoron : a “TOTALLY INCOMPETENT AND CORRUPT” magistrate and a head of the New York public prosecutor’s office “WHO ATTACKS TRUMP WHEN HE HAS DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG”.

Donald Trump regularly storms against a “phony” civil judgment and an “unconstitutional guarantee requirement” imposed by a “racist” attorney general and a judge “controlled by the Democratic clique”.

Prosecutor Letitia James speaks to the press in New York, January 11, 2024 © Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP

Letitia James is an African-American judge, elected from the Democratic Party, and occupies a function and a role that is both judicial and political.

For weeks, Donald Trump's lawyers have said they are unable to provide this bond intended to suspend, for the duration of an appeal, the February judgment which also prohibits Trump father and son from running their businesses in New York for three and two years.

Friday, the former head of state assured that he had “nearly 500 million dollars in cash, a significant part of which is intended to be used in (his) campaign” against Democratic President Joe Biden.

Soon “personally bankrupt”?

He also benefited from a breath of financial oxygen on Friday with a green light for the IPO of his media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, which could bring him billions of dollars and thus serve as security.

Otherwise, Donald Trump will suffer "humiliation", judge Carl Tobias, professor of law at the University of Richmond (Virginia, east). Because he could be forced to “sell his real estate” or have it “seized” by Attorney James, such as the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue and his building on Wall Street in Manhattan.

Carl Tobias even thinks that the businessman could "declare himself personally bankrupt".

His lawyers have been increasing their appeals for months to delay his trials as much as possible, if possible after the presidential election on November 5.

Read alsoAfter a double comeback, the Biden-Trump face-to-face begins

Postponed by three months

For his criminal indictment for payments before the 2016 presidential election to a former porn star, Stormy Daniels, with whom he allegedly had an extramarital affair in 2006, the trial was to begin Monday. But it was pushed back on March 15 by at least a month.

Manhattan judge Juan Merchan must set a new date on Monday for this historic judicial first for a former American president who faces four years in prison.

The defense of Donald Trump, 77, requires an adjournment of at least three months, time to study tens of thousands of pages of documents submitted in March to the proceedings. The lawyers also want to wait until the Supreme Court in Washington decides this summer on the question of presidential criminal immunity.

Donald Trump denies any affair with Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford.

He pleaded not guilty to charges of defacing the Trump Organization's accounts to hide the $130,000 paid in October 2016 so that she would keep quiet about a consensual sexual encounter ten years earlier when he was married to Melania Trump.

With AFP

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