Justice Juan M. Merchan has tried to treat Donald J. Trump like the hundreds of other defendants whose fates he has decided. But his decision could alter American history.

Trump was convicted in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in relation to a "hush money" payment to an adult film star before the 2016 election.

A federal judge on Tuesday denied former President Donald Trump's second and last ditch bid to transfer his New York hush money case to federal court. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York found that there was no good cause to grant Trump’s lawyers permission to even file a motion.