A new judge has been assigned to the civil fraud case against former President Donald Trump, which was initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

A new judge has been appointed to preside over the civil fraud case against President-elect Trump, as brought forth by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Judge Arthur Engoron had been handling the case and trial, but he was accused by Trump allies of showing bias against the president-elect, his family, and his company.

According to sources, New York County Supreme Court Justice Judith McMahon of Staten Island has been assigned to the case.

The appeals court will decide the case, after which it will be sent back to the lower court, where Engoron presided during the trial.

Sources reported that McMahon will replace him after the appeals court makes its decision.

In October 2023, a non-jury civil fraud trial lasting several weeks ended with Engoron ruling that Trump and defendants were found guilty of "persistent and repeated fraud," "falsifying business records," "issuing false financial statements," "conspiracy to falsify false financial statements," "insurance fraud," and "conspiracy to commit insurance fraud."

Before the trial started, Engoron ruled in favor of Trump and made the case about the amount of penalty to be paid.

During the case, Engoron valued Trump's Mar-a-Lago at $18 million, but President Trump disputes that valuation, stating that the property is worth between $50 and $100 million more than Engoron's estimate. Real estate insiders and developers believe the property could be listed for more than $300 million.

In his ruling in the case last year, Engoron criticized Trump for his behavior during the trial, stating that he rarely answered the questions asked and frequently made irrelevant speeches on topics unrelated to the trial.

Engoron wrote that his failure to respond to questions directly or at all severely undermined his credibility.

Throughout the trial last year, Engoron, a Democrat donor, was repeatedly criticized by Trump, Trump allies, Republicans, and legal experts for his handling of the case.

Unsolicited advice on the case is also reportedly being investigated regarding Engoron.

Trump and his family maintained their innocence, with the ex-president asserting that his assets had been undervalued. Trump's legal team emphasized that his financial statements contained disclaimers, and advised banks to perform their own evaluations.

The New York Appeals Court is currently considering Trump's appeal of the $454 million judgment.

Last year, judges on the New York appeals court showed openness to the idea of overturning or lessening the $454 million civil fraud verdict.

Engoron's ruling was deemed "draconian, unlawful, and unconstitutional" by the president's attorneys.

D. John Sauer, Trump's attorney and incoming Solicitor General, contended that James' lawsuit exceeded New York's consumer protection statutes and asserted that there were no victims and no complaints from lenders and insurers regarding Trump's business practices.

Sauer stated that the cause of the issue "involves a clear-cut violation of the statute of limitations," as he pointed out transactions used in the non-jury civil fraud trial that were more than a decade old.

If the verdict is not overturned, people will be unable to conduct business in real estate without fear, according to Sauer.