As past President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden prepare to face off again in November, Trump has been hamstrung by lawfare — from Biden’s Department of Justice as well as state and local prosecutors — in the form of both criminal and civil complaints in New York, Georgia, Florida, and Washington D. C. Immediately, Trump’s therefore- called” split- display” campaign is expected to begin, with the presumptive Republican nominee’s time divided between campaign appearances and, in at least one case, required courtroom appearances.
The Federalist has gathered the most recent information you need to know about each situation to help users stay informed about the quickly unfolding improvements in these cases.
Manhattan, New York: Prosecution by DA Alvin Bragg for NDA Payment
How did we get to this New York state legal case? Former US President Donald Trump was facing 34 felony counts of allegedly tampering with business information in this case. As part of a prenuptial agreement, Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen paid erotic film actress Stormy Daniels to deny the allegations that he had an affair with him soon before the 2016 presidential election. Although prenuptial agreements are not prohibited, Bragg claims that Trump allegedly concealed the transaction in order to boost his chances of winning the 2016 election.
Latest innovations: In the weeks before the March 25 test date, the Manhattan U. S. prosecutor’s office presented more than 100, 000 pages of potential new data in response to a January lawsuit by the Trump group. Trump’s legal team argued that the belated revelations, some of which occurred days before trial, warranted the dismissal of charges or at least a delay in the case.
The new trial is scheduled to begin on April 15, which will mark the start of jury selection. Attorneys for former president Trump lost their bid to stay this case until the Supreme Court made a decision regarding presidential immunity on Thursday, April 4.
Democrat Judge Merchan, a donor to Biden’s campaign and an anti- Trump cause in 2020, also issued a sweeping gag order on President Trump, barring him from publicly discussing the jurors, witnesses, and parties involved in the case. Even though Merchan’s daughter works for a digital advertising firm that has counted both Biden and Kamala Harris ‘ 2020 campaigns and Adam Schiff’s House and Senate campaigns as its clients, the gag order also applies to remarks about Merchan’s family. According to the President’s representative, the legality of the Court’s impartiality “might be legitimately questioned.”
The Trump team filed an appeal with a New York appeals court on Monday seeking to change the location of the trial and place the gag order.
Fulton County, Georgia: Prosecution by DA Fani Willis for Questioning Election Results
How did we get here: District Attorney Fani Willis and her team of prosecutors, which up until recently included Nathan Wade, who Willis had an unfavorable romantic relationship with. Willis charged Trump in August 2023 with 13 felony counts, including racketeering charges, related to his alleged attempt to challenge the 2020 election results in Georgia. President Trump is joined by 18 co- defendants, including Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Sidney Powell, and others. Some of President Trump’s co-defendants have entered plea bargains, while others have filed petitions to have the case dropped in federal court, all of which have been rejected.
Recent developments: Despite the alleged conflicts of interest that Wade’s presence on the case may have caused, Judge Scott McAfee has granted the defense attorneys ‘ requests to file an appeal against his most recent ruling allowing District Attorney Fani Willis to remain active in the case. Under McAfee’s order, Willis can remain involved in the case under the condition that Wade leaves. Following Judge McAfee’s ruling, Wade resigned from his position. The trial in this case may be further delayed by Judge McAfee’s appeal.
Although prosecutors have requested a trial to begin on August 5, just a few short weeks after the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, no trial date has been set, the trial has not yet been scheduled. Judge McAfee rejected Trump’s attorneys ‘ claims that his protests against the 2020 election in Georgia constituted” core political speech” that was protected by the First Amendment and therefore unassailable.
Southern District of Florida: Prosecution by Biden DOJ for Handling of Classified Documents
How did we get to this federal criminal case: Former President Trump was allegedly mishandled by secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence in June 2023, according to special counsel Jack Smith and federal prosecutors with Biden’s Justice Department. Although Trump’s attorneys have requested that the trial be pushed back and Judge Aileen Cannon has indicated she will reschedule it, the trial is scheduled to begin on May 20, 2024.
Recent developments: Judge Aileen Cannon recently rejected a request by Trump’s attorneys to declare the case a pre-trial matter on the grounds that the records were the president’s personal property and not protected by classified information. The trial issue is not alleged to be averted by the order.  ,
Additionally, Judge Cannon recently passed an order mandating that Trump’s legal team and special prosecutors submit two versions of proposed jury instructions based on two distinct legal theories. Judge Cannon appeared to support Trump’s legal claim that he had complete authority to remove records from the White House in accordance with one of these legal theories. A conviction of former President Trump would be highly unlikely if this legal theory were to be ultimately accepted by the court.
Additionally, venue matters: The trial is currently set to take place in Fort Pierce, Florida, in a locality that heavily backed President Trump in the 2020 election. If that remains unchanged, the demographics of the jury pool may result in a pro- Trump courtroom.  ,  ,
Washington, D. C.:  , Prosecution by Biden DOJ for Jan. 6 Speech
How did we get to this federal criminal case: Former US President Trump was charged with four counts of conspiracy and obstruction in connection with his actions on January 6, 2021, according to special counsel Jack Smith and federal prosecutors in this case. The First Amendment protects President Trump’s right to raise legitimate questions about a dubious election process, according to President Trump’s attorneys, and that immunity extends to actions taken by him while acting in his official capacity.
Recent developments: As prosecutors and Trump’s legal team wait for a Supreme Court ruling on whether former president Trump has broad immunity from prosecution for allegedly committing crimes while in office, this case is currently stalled. If the Supreme Court decides against President Trump, a trial could start in July or August and the Supreme Court will hear arguments in that case on April 22. After that, it might rule before the end of the June term.  ,
New York: Lawsuit by A. G. Letitia James for Inflating Net Worth
In this New York civil fraud case, Democrat Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against former president Trump in September 2022 alleging that he fabricated information to get loans from banks, insurers, and others to get loans despite the fact that none of the parties involved claimed that the deals caused any harm. Following a no- jury trial, Judge Arthur Engoron issued a decision on Feb. 16, 2024 ordering Trump to pay a$ 454 million penalty. Trump has appealed this decision.  ,  ,
Latest developments: President Trump has posted the$ 175 million bond required to appeal Judge Engoron’s decision. Trump is not required to pay the full$ 454 million fine while the case is pending an appeal, despite reports that the fine will go up by$ 111, 984 per day simply because of the interest on the fine. Hearings are scheduled to be held in September 2024 by the appeals court.  ,
Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinksy &, Josefiak PLLC has partners in which Steve Roberts is a partner, and Oliver Roberts is an associate. They can be reached at sroberts @holtzmanvogel and oroberts @holtzmanvogel.com.
