For the third time this week, an appeals court has ruled against a delay sought by Donald Trump in criminal proceedings against the former US president in connection with an alleged hush money payment made to a porn actress.
According to US media reports, Judge Ellen Gesmer denied the request by Trump's lawyers on Wednesday.
The criminal trial against Trump is the first against a former US president and is scheduled to begin next Monday in New York with jury selection. Trump's lawyers have already failed this week with two other motions aimed at delaying the start of the trial.
The New York Times wrote that the latest motion "underscored Mr. Trump's increasing desperation to delay the trial."
His lawyers filed the motion in an attempt to delay the trial in order to buy time to finalize a lawsuit against the judge in charge, Juan Merchan.
The former Republican president's lawyers argue that the judge is biased because his adult daughter has also worked for the Democrats as an adviser.
The criminal charges against Trump in New York are related to roughly $130,000 that was paid by his attorney Michael Cohen to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016, shortly before his election as president.
Trump, who wants to be re-elected to the White House for the Republicans in November, faces criminal charges of falsifying business records in an alleged attempt to hide the payments. He has pleaded not guilty.
