Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts in hush money probe
Donald Trump is now the first former president to ever be charged with a crime.
LEARN MOREMay 23, 2023
A judge on Tuesday scheduled Donald Trump's criminal trial over his hush-money case for March 25, 2024.
Trump appeared on video in the courtroom, sitting next to one of his attorneys.
New York Judge Juan Manuel Merchan advised Trump to clear his calendar for the duration of the trial, which may last for weeks and will come in the thick of the Republican primary season.
Trump in April pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
The charges stem from an investigation into hush-money payments Trump made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.
Trump has framed the investigations as a coordinated effort to undermine his chances in the 2024 election. He frequently comments on court cases during his media appearances, such as when he called author E. Jean Carroll a "wack job" during a CNN town hall appearance, following a case in which a jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her.
During the Tuesday hearing, Merchan reviewed an order that bars Trump from discussing certain evidence in the case. According to the order, Trump may discuss the case, but the court may hold him in contempt if he uses any evidence from the discovery phase to target witnesses. The order requires that Trump's attorneys retain sole control over certain evidence.
