Former President Donald Trump's hush-money trial in New York will proceed as planned, with jury selection scheduled to begin on March 25, according to Judge Juan Manuel Merchan. This decision comes after discussions with the judge overseeing Trump's federal election interference case in Washington, D.C., which has been delayed. Trump arrived at the courthouse before 9 a.m., marking his first return visit since his historic indictment, making him the first ex-president charged with a crime. Since then, he has faced indictments in Florida, Georgia, and Washington, D.C.

In recent weeks, Trump has been juggling campaign events with court appearances. On Monday, he attended a closed hearing in Florida related to charges of hoarding classified records. Judge Merchan has been taking steps to prepare for the trial, despite Trump's previous attempts to discredit him as a "Trump-hating judge." Trump had requested that Merchan step down from the case and tried to move it from state court to federal court, but these efforts were unsuccessful. Merchan, who has made small donations to Democrats, including $15 to Trump's rival Joe Biden, has maintained his ability to be fair and impartial.

Thursday's proceedings were part of a busy period of legal activity for Trump, who has integrated his court involvement into his political campaign. The recent postponement of the trial date for his Washington, D.C. election interference case on March 4 removed a significant obstacle to starting the New York case on time. Simultaneously, in Atlanta, a judge heard arguments on whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from Trump's Georgia election interference case due to a "personal relationship" with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she hired for the case. Additionally, Trump is awaiting a decision, potentially to be announced as early as Friday, in a New York civil fraud case that could have severe consequences for his real estate empire.