US judge rejects Trump’s bid to switch hush-money case to federal court

A US judge says 'no' to Donald Trump. Mr. Trump wants to move his legal case. He wants it to go to a different court, a federal court. But the judge, Mr. Hellerstein, says it must stay in the state court in New York. This is about a special payment Mr. Trump made. He paid money to a woman named Stormy Daniels. This happened during his 2016 election campaign. After that, he changed business papers to hide the payment.

Mr. Trump thinks he has special protection, called immunity. This means he believes he cannot be judged for things he did as president. He says the payment and how he recorded it were part of his job as president. But the judge does not agree. The judge says these actions are not about being a president. They are personal actions or campaign actions.

So, the case stays in the New York state court. Mr. Trump was already found guilty in this court for changing the business papers. He tried to stop this ruling, but the judge says no. The judge's decision means the case will continue as planned in the state legal system. Mr. Trump's lawyers will need to find other ways to fight the conviction.