New york: A federal judge on Wednesday expressed skepticism towards an attorney for US President Donald Trump, questioning the arguments presented in an attempt to overturn Trump's 2024 hush-money conviction. The hearing, which lasted over three hours, took place at the US District Court in lower Manhattan.

According to Anadolu Agency, US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein criticized Trump's legal team, specifically attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, for a strategic error made in July 2024. Following a US Supreme Court ruling that entitles Trump to immunity, the team sought intervention from a state trial judge instead of taking the case directly to federal court. Judge Hellerstein noted that this decision compromised Trump's chances of overturning his 34 guilty verdicts.

Jeffrey Wall, now representing Trump and a former senior Justice Department lawyer, contended that Trump was entitled to have the case heard in federal court. Wall argued that approaching federal court initially would have been premature and would have bypassed the opportunity for state trial Judge Juan Merchan to review the matter first.

However, Judge Hellerstein dismissed this argument, stating that Wall was reiterating a point already settled. He emphasized that nothing had prevented Trump's lawyers from directly approaching federal court from the outset.

Steven Wu, representing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, concurred with Judge Hellerstein. Wu asserted that Trump's legal team deliberately chose to begin in state court, despite having the option to initiate proceedings in federal court. Wu stated, "You cannot go to state court and when you are unhappy with that result go to federal court."