Donald J. Trump is seeking to move his criminal case from New York State Supreme Court to federal court, one of his lawyers said on Thursday.
One month after appearing in a Manhattan courtroom, where state prosecutors accused him of committing 34 felonies by falsifying documents to cover up a potential sex scandal, Mr. Trump will seek the legal change of scenery in a court filing later on Thursday.
The lawyer, Todd Blanche, referenced the request toward the end of a hearing in state court in which lawyers discussed the terms of an order binding the way that Mr. Trump can use evidence from his criminal case.
The effort to move the case to federal court, which is likely a long shot, will not have any immediate effect on the state case. The federal judge who considers the request could reject it on its face. But even if the judge finds the request worthy of consideration and orders a hearing in federal court, the state case will continue unhindered for now.
At the hearing on Thursday, the state court judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan, asked prosecutors and Mr. Trump’s lawyers to agree on a specific date for Mr. Trump’s trial in either February or March of next year. If that schedule becomes final, the trial will unfold in the thick of the presidential campaign, in which Mr. Trump is a leading contender.
Requests for a change of venue are rarely granted in criminal cases. And the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, whose office brought the case against Mr. Trump, will undoubtedly oppose the former president’s effort if necessary.
A spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Trump’s effort hinges on a little-utilized provision in federal law that allows for defendants, within 30 days of their arraignment in state court, to submit “a short and plain statement of the grounds” for having their case moved to federal court.
