Trump Trials update for 07-02-2025

Today, the legal battles surrounding Donald Trump have reached an intensity and frequency that even seasoned court-watchers find staggering. In just the past few days, Trump’s criminal conviction in New York has continued to dominate headlines, as his legal team pushes hard to overturn the verdict in an unprecedented appeal before the federal courts. This is not just another routine motion—Trump’s lawyers are arguing that his case should move from state court to federal court, based on a law designed for federal officials if the conduct in question occurred while in office. Jeffrey Wall, a distinguished Supreme Court litigator and former acting solicitor general, stood before a federal appeals panel in New York and claimed, boldly, “Everything about this cries out for a federal courtroom.” The heart of their argument hinges on testimony from figures like Hope Hicks, who served during Trump’s first term, as evidence supposedly linking the case to his presidential duties.

But the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, led by Alvin Bragg, isn’t backing down. Steven Wu, the office’s appeals chief, shot back that the law was never intended to allow cases to be shifted after sentencing, emphasizing that the real purpose was to establish the proper court for trial from the outset. The judges themselves, including Judge Myrna Pérez, openly acknowledged the historic nature of the case, noting, “We got a very big case that created a whole new world of presidential immunity, and the boundaries are not clear at this point.” This sense of legal limbo has kept attorneys on both sides—and everyone watching—on edge.

Meanwhile, these legal maneuvers haven’t been limited to New York. Trump’s classified documents case in Florida is also swirling through the appellate system, ever since Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed parts of the indictment based on arguments over the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith. The government has appealed, setting up another legal showdown in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

What’s clear is that Trump’s lawyers are exploiting every possible avenue—presidential immunity, forum shopping between courts, and procedural technicalities—to try to erase his convictions or delay any final reckoning. In every courtroom, historic questions about the limits of presidential immunity and whether a former president can be held to account are being argued fiercely, with the full resources of both government prosecutors and Trump’s high-profile legal team.

Whether you’re tracking filings in the Second Circuit or watching the legal chess match in Florida, these trials are reshaping the legal landscape, with implications that reach far beyond Trump himself. Thanks for tuning in—come back next week for more developments as the nation continues to watch these historic events unfold!