Donald Trump faces 4 criminal trials: A calendar of what to expect

Two down, at least four to go.

On the eve of his first criminal trial, set to begin Monday in New York, former President Donald Trump continues to navigate a half-dozen civil and criminal cases as he campaigns to return to the White House. He appears in court so often that courthouses have become de facto stops on the campaign trail, from which he rails against Democrats.

Four criminal trials loom with a combined 88 charges. In Manhattan, he faces 34 charges of falsifying business records to pay hush money to women who claimed to have had sex with him. The other trials are not yet firmly scheduled.

In the other three criminal cases, prosecutors are wrangling with Trump’s lawyers over legal motions that could delay them until after the Nov. 5 election. The Supreme Court is weighing whether he is immune from charges as a former president.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. But the trials threaten to keep him off the campaign trail for months at a time – if they are held as briskly as prosecutors would like.

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So far, Trump's record in court is 0-2. He lost a defamation suit by columnist E. Jean Carroll and was ordered to pay her $83 million. He also lost a civil fraud lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James and was ordered to pay $454 million. He’s appealing both judgments.

Here is what we know about the pending criminal trials:

New York hush money case ∣ April 2024

Expected trial date: April 15

Number of counts: 34

Trump was indicted on 34 felony counts in March 2023 by a Manhattan grand jury for allegedly falsifying business records in an attempt to conceal hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, who claim they had sexual relations with Trump, before the 2016 election.

Trump had allegedly arranged for his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to make the payments − $130,000 for Daniels and $150,000 for McDougal − to silence the women on their claims.

Trump pleaded not guilty and has denied that he had the affairs. He has said he paid Cohen a retainer and that the lawyer arranged the payments. But Cohen has testified there was no retainer and Trump directed the payments to women.

New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan is overseeing the case.

Mar-a-Lago classified documents case ∣ May 2024

Tentative trial date: May 20

Number of felony counts: 40

Trump was indicted on 40 counts for hoarding hundreds of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate upon leaving the White House in 2021.

Trump contends he declassified the records and they were his personal property.

Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump with the willful retention of national defense records in violation of the Espionage Act and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over the case, continues to hear arguments dealing with evidence, which could postpone the trial from her tentative start date of May 20.

Smith has proposed to start July 8 and Trump's lawyers, while preferring to postpone until after the election, suggested Aug. 12.

Federal election interference case ∣ TBD

Expected trial date: To be determined

Number of counts: 4

Trump was indicted on four counts for allegedly conspiring to steal the 2020 election from President Joe Biden.

Smith charged Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

Trump contends he is immune to the charges because he was president when actions took place leading up to and including the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals have each ruled he isn’t immune. But the Supreme Court will hear arguments April 25.

The trial is postponed until the justices reach a decision, which could come in May or June. Chutkan has assured Trump of two months of pretrial preparation after the decision, pushing a potential trial at least into August. Depending on how and when the court rules, the charges could be dismissed or the trial delayed longer.

Georgia election interference case ∣ TBD

Expected trial date: To be determined

Number of counts: 10

Trump faces 10 counts in Georgia alleging a racketeering conspiracy to try to steal the 2020 election by recruiting alternate presidential electors and pressuring state officials to recognize them as legitimate.

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act penalizes activities of people engaging in organized crime.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis proposed to start the trial Aug. 5, but that would mean the potentially five-month trial would be running on election day.

Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee hasn’t set a date yet. The case is the only one of the four to be livestreamed.