Trump loses bid to postpone New York civil fraud trial

Trump wanted to halt the trial while he fights a pre-trial ruling that could strip him of control of such assets as Trump Tower. An appeals judge rebuffed the request for a pause but agreed that control over the holdings will stay as-is for now.

Friday's decision came five days into the closely watched trial, which drew Trump to the courthouse to observe -- and fulminate -- for days this week.

Trump's lawyers had asked the state's intermediate appellate court to suspend the trial in New York Attorney-General Letitia James' lawsuit and prevent Judge Arthur Engoron from enforcing a ruling he made last week.

Engeron's decision revoked the Republican presidential frontrunner's business licences and puts a court-appointed receiver in charge of his companies.

"This is a massive error. It is irreparable," Trump lawyer Christopher Kise told the appellate judge, Associate Justice Peter H. Moulton. Kise argued the ruling will make defendants in other cases fear that their companies and properties will be seized without recourse.

"We're not seeking a delay. We're seeking a fair trial," Kise said.

Trump's lawyers said the ruling could harm not only the ex-president and other defendants but as many as 1000 employees.

James' office has talked to the defence about delaying enforcement of Engoron's ruling during the trial, provided it proceeds, state Deputy Solicitor General Judy Vale told the appeals judge.

"We could have resolved some of this, and we're still happy to do so," Vale said.

She called the defence arguments for a delay "completely meritless" and noted that mounting the trial has been "an enormous endeavour." It has entailed extensive court planning, security resources for Trump's attendance and special arrangements for press and public access.

Ahead of the hearing, James said Trump and the other defendants "can continue to try to delay and stall, but the evidence is clear, and our case is strong."

She declined to comment afterward, as did Trump's lawyers.

The appellate court last week rejected the defence's last-minute effort to delay the trial just days before it began. On Thursday, Trump's lawyers dropped a lawsuit they filed against Engoron as part of that challenge.

Engoron ruled last week that Trump committed years of fraud as he built the real estate empire that vaulted him to fame and the White House.

The judge, ruling on the top claim in James' lawsuit, found that Trump routinely deceived banks, insurers and others by exaggerating the value of assets on his annual financial statements, which were used in making deals and securing loans.

Trump has denied wrongdoing, arguing that some of his assets are worth far more than what's listed on the statements.

The trial will resume on Tuesday with Trump's longtime finance chief Allen Weisselberg on the witness stand.

As the trial was unfolding this week, Engoron issued an order Thursday setting procedures for enforcing his ruling. He gave both sides until Oct. 26 to submit names of potential receivers and gave Trump and other defendants seven days to provide a court-appointed monitor, retired federal judge Barbara Jones, with a list of all entities covered by the ruling.

He also ordered the defendants to give Jones advance notice of any application for new business licences in any jurisdiction and any attempts to create new entities to "hold or acquire the assets" of a company that's being dissolved under the ruling.

Trump's lawyers argued in court papers that Engoron had "no rationale or legal authority" to impose what they described as "the corporate death penalty." They also rapped the judge for not being clear in explaining the real-world effects of his decision.

At a pretrial hearing on Sept. 26, Trump lawyer Christopher Kise pressed Engoron to clarify whether his ruling meant Trump would be required simply to close up some corporate entities or if he'd be forced to relinquish some of his most prized assets.

Engoron then said he wasn't "prepared to issue a ruling right now."

Australian Associated Press