From New York to Arizona: Inside the head-spinning week of Trump's legal drama

NEW YORK -- Even by Donald Trump's standards, this was a dizzying week.

The archetypal transgression prosecution of a erstwhile president began successful earnest with opening statements and grounds successful a little Manhattan courtroom. But the enactment rapidly dispersed to impact much than fractional a twelve cases successful 4 states and the nation's capital. Twice during the week, lawyers for Trump were simultaneously appearing successful antithetic courtrooms.

The collision of truthful galore cases wrong a five-day span underscores the challenges Trump volition look arsenic helium campaigns again for the White House portion his ineligible matters intensify. While the presumptive Republican nominee sought to speech astir the system and different issues, his intended connection was repeatedly overshadowed by the latest developments popping up crossed the country.

Here’s however the week broke down and what's ahead:

The week began with a infinitesimal for the past books, with prosecutors for the archetypal clip presenting a assemblage with a transgression lawsuit against a erstwhile American president. In opening statements, prosecutors told jurors that hush wealth payments made to an big movie histrion were “a transgression strategy to corrupt the 2016 statesmanlike election” portion Trump’s lawyers argued the lawsuit is baseless. Testimony past began with erstwhile National Enquirer steadfast David Pecker giving the nationalist the astir tangible look yet astatine the allegations.

It besides gave the clearest representation yet of Trump’s defence and however helium is blending his roles arsenic campaigner and transgression defendant. Trump is starting and ending the time appearing earlier waiting reporters astatine the courthouse, offering complaints that helium is required to beryllium determination and commentary connected however acold it is successful the courtroom oregon remarks connected unrelated nationalist news.

In a abstracted but adjacent courthouse, 1 of Trump’s lawyers struck a woody with New York authorities lawyers implicit a $175 cardinal enslaved that Trump posted to intermission a ample civilian fraud judgement he’s appealing successful a abstracted case.

Trump returned to tribunal wherever prosecutors began by urging the justice to clasp Trump successful contempt for societal media posts that they said violated a gag bid that bars him from attacking witnesses, jurors and others involved. The justice did not instantly regularisation connected the petition but seemed skeptical of defence arguments that Trump was conscionable responding to others’ attacks.

Pecker, a longtime Trump friend, testified the remainder of the time and said helium pledged to assistance suppress harmful stories astir Trump during the 2016 election.

Trial proceedings were not scheduled for Wednesday truthful Trump didn't trek to the Manhattan courthouse from his namesake penthouse tower. But helium did occurrence disconnected a station astatine 2 a.m. connected Truth Social, his societal media platform, criticizing the justice and did it again aboriginal successful the time successful an interrogation with Fox News Digital.

Meanwhile, much tribunal documents were unsealed successful Florida successful different transgression lawsuit successful which national prosecutors person charged Trump and 2 of his employees with mishandling classified documents aft helium near the White House. Though the lawsuit has proceeded astatine a plodding gait successful caller months and seems improbable to scope proceedings this year, the documents show, among different things, the warnings that Trump received from associates to instrumentality the delicate files helium was aboriginal charged with possessing.

Beyond cases successful which Trump is charged arsenic a defendant, Arizona’s lawyer wide connected Wednesday indicted 18 of his associates for their roles successful an effort to overturn Trump’s nonaccomplishment successful that authorities to Democrat Joe Biden successful the 2020 election. Trump was referred to successful the Arizona lawsuit arsenic an unindicted co-conspirator.

In a akin lawsuit successful Michigan, a authorities researcher testified that helium considers Trump to beryllium an uncharged co-conspirator successful that state’s lawsuit against fake electors.

Trump’s hush wealth lawsuit successful New York authorities tribunal resumed Thursday. But prosecutors began the time by arguing earlier the justice that Trump had again violated the gag bid with societal media posts and comments helium made aboriginal that greeting astatine a dawn run halt successful the city.

New York authorities Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan has not yet ruled connected whether to clasp Trump successful contempt. Pecker aboriginal resumed testimony. Boris Epshteyn, a longtime Trump adjutant who was among the 18 charged successful Arizona a time earlier, was listening successful the courtroom.

At the aforesaid clip successful Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court weighed whether Trump tin beryllium prosecuted implicit his efforts to undo his nonaccomplishment to Biden. The justices successful their questions seemed skeptical of Trump’s claims of implicit immunity from prosecution, but a fewer seemed to awesome they had reservations astir the charges, and that could effect successful a hold successful that proceedings beyond November’s election.

In New York national tribunal connected Thursday, a justice rejected Trump’s petition for a caller proceedings successful a defamation lawsuit successful which helium was ordered to wage $83.3 cardinal to an proposal columnist for his societal media attacks implicit her claims that helium sexually assaulted her.

The hush wealth proceedings continued successful New York connected Friday, with Pecker wrapping up grounds and Trump’s lawyers seeking to discredit him. Two different witnesses, Trump’s longtime enforcement adjunct Rhona Graff and Gary Farro, a banker for erstwhile Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. Epshteyn again was seated successful the courtroom.

The New York hush wealth lawsuit is not expected to resume until Tuesday due to the fact that of a long-scheduled time disconnected Monday. Testimony is expected to proceed Thursday and Friday, giving Trump a accidental to marque run stops successful Michigan and Wisconsin connected Wednesday.

On Thursday, the justice has scheduled a greeting proceeding connected prosecutors’ astir caller propulsion to punish Trump implicit the gag order.

And successful the Arizona case, details could look astir the charges against Trump’s main of unit Mark Meadows and erstwhile lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Sixteen of the 18 radical indicted by a expansive assemblage person been charged with conspiracy, fraud and forgery for their relation successful submitting a mendacious slate of electors to Congress; the authorities lawyer wide has yet to corroborate charges against the 2 remaining defendants. The indictment makes clear, based connected their statements and positions, that they are Giuliani and Meadows, but the charges against them are inactive redacted.

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Associated Press writers Eric Tucker successful Washington and Jonathan J. Cooper successful Phoenix contributed to this report.