An appeals court has granted a temporary halt, known as a stay, to a judge’s order that called for the dissolution of former President Donald Trump’s business entities. However, this decision represents only a partial victory for President Trump, as the appeals court has allowed the trial, which commenced earlier this week, to continue.
Prosecutors had opposed the request for a delay, accusing defense attorneys of trying to create “chaos” and disrupt proceedings. In response to the pause, the Trump Organization released a statement criticizing the judge’s order to cancel the business certificates held by the Trumps, calling it “overzealous.
The statement argued that Judge Engoron’s order wrongly attempted to decide the fate of business entities not directly involved in the case. These businesses employ nearly 1,000 New Yorkers, have not faced accusations of wrongdoing, and have not had their day in court. The statement contended that this violated their Constitutional rights and Due Process, pledging a vigorous defense against what they perceived as politically motivated persecution.
It has come to light that Trump’s legal team filed an appeal in the civil fraud case on October 4th and 5th, submitting a substantial 1,154-page document in an attempt to pause the ongoing trial. Their reasoning for requesting a stay on the case highlighted concerns about unauthorized, undemanded, and overly broad relief imposed by the New York Supreme Court’s decisions on September 26th and October 5th, 2023, which they argued would result in significant and irreparable harm.
Notably, President Trump had previously sought to delay the trial, with his earlier appeal denied just days before the trial’s commencement. The September 26th decision by New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron found President Trump liable for fraud and ordered the dissolution of the Trump Organization and related limited liability companies (LLCs). This would mean the former president could lose his entire real estate empire unless the appeal is granted. Attorneys further contended that this decision would have a substantial impact on hundreds of employees.
In the filing, the attorneys expressed their belief that the Supreme Court’s decision failed to comprehend the extent of chaos it had created, describing it as a “miscarriage of justice.
This ongoing legal battle continues to attract significant attention, with the outcome having potential ramifications for both the Trump Organization and the former president himself.