In the latest development of former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan, Judge Juan Manuel Merchan has ordered a delay of at least three weeks. This decision comes after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg communicated to the judge his openness to postponing the trial to allow both parties adequate time to review newly released records by the United States Attorney’s Office.

The trial, initially set to begin on March 25, will now see a hearing on that date instead, with a 30-day postponement granted. This delay is aimed at addressing significant factual questions and determining the necessity of setting a new trial date, as outlined in a recent court filing.

Trump's legal team had previously sought a 90-day extension to go through tens of thousands of pages of documents released by the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, which has been leading the investigation into the case. According to Trump's lawyers, some of the new evidence might be beneficial for the defense.

Additionally, Trump has requested a further delay of the trial pending a Supreme Court decision on whether he enjoys presidential immunity in another case. He faces 34 counts of allegedly falsifying business records connected to a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels by Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen. This payment was purportedly made to prevent Daniels from disclosing a past affair with Trump.