The trial for New York Attorney General Letitia James’ $250 million civil fraud case against former President Donald Trump, his family members, and his company is scheduled to last almost three months, according to Judge Arthur Engoron. The trial is set to begin on October 2, 2023, and conclude by December 22, 2023. The case alleges that Trump, his children Don Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization inflated their worth in financial statements to banks and insurers, resulting in favorable loans and deals they were not entitled to.
The trial will be a bench trial, meaning there will be no jury, and the judge will decide the case. Judge Engoron stated that he will hear the case five days a week. The opening statements will be limited to 90 minutes for Letitia James’ office and two hours for the Trumps.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has referred to the suit as a partisan “witch hunt.” In a court filing, the Trumps’ lawyers argued that there was no fraud and no victims, requesting the dismissal of much of the case. James’ office, on the other hand, alleged that Trump overstated his worth by billions of dollars each year.
The trial is part of a larger legal battle for Trump, as he faces several other trials in the coming year, including a defamation suit filed by writer E. Jean Carroll and criminal charges related to falsifying business records. Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, stated that the Attorney General’s case is flawed and the calculations are inaccurate.
Letitia James filed the civil fraud suit in September of last year, accusing Trump of more than 200 instances of fraud over a 10-year period. In addition to seeking $250 million in damages, the suit aims to permanently bar members of the Trump family from serving as officers of New York-based companies and impose other penalties.
It remains uncertain whether Trump will testify in the case, and witness lists are expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.
