Following the anomalous 2020 election, the world watched in horror as an unprecedented lawfare assault descended upon a past U.S. president. From armed raids on the man's family's private residence to contrived charges, both civil and criminal, to completely evidence-free but salacious claims made by women of dubious integrity, Trump-hating lawyers and judges from federal, state, and local levels went to war against Orange Man Bad. Civilians got in on the act as jurors who reliably delivered "guilty" or "liable" verdicts, no matter how ludicrous, unproven, and unprecedented the charges were. The constant drumbeat of hate and slander even contributed to an atmosphere in which two lunatics attempted to assassinate the past and future president. The United States of America seemed to be spiraling into banana republic status after all.
Thank God that the U.S. is perhaps the only nation on the planet where it's still possible to vote our way out of such dire straits, and vote ourselves free we did in 2024. In the court of public opinion, at least, the vile weaponized-justice-system tactics of the left have been soundly rejected. But in the ruby-red districts where operatives brought their cases against Trump, the rigged decisions still stand.
Trump has appealed them all, and many are still in the process of being scheduled and argued. But the appeal of one of the most galling decisions — the risible civil fraud case New York Attorney General Letitia James brought before N.Y. Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron — should have been decided by now.
Engoron sided with James right out of the box that Trump & Co. had committed real estate fraud by overvaluing their assets to obtain better loan terms. In February 2024, the biased bench-sitter ordered the defendants to pay a $354 million fine plus another $100 million in interest. That figure increases by $112,000 every day that this debacle drags on. As of today, the amount for which the president is liable is around $512 million. Amazing, considering there were no damages from Trump's supposed fraud.
Related: That Time Judge Engoron Pulled a Fani Willis
New York being what it is, Trump was required to post a $175 million bond before he could even begin his appeal process. But he jumped through the hoop and filed his appeal.
On Sept. 26, 2024, Trump's lawyers argued his case in front of a five-judge panel of the New York Appellate Division, First Department, and the matter was left in the court's hands. That was seven and a half months ago.
I asked Grok (the AI assistant that comes with my X subscription and is worth every penny) the average amount of time it takes that particular court to issue its decisions for civil appeals. "The New York Appellate Division, First Department, typically issues a decision for a civil appeal 4–8 weeks after oral arguments," Grok informed me.
However, "High-profile or intricate cases, such as commercial litigation with extensive records (e.g., Trump’s civil fraud case), may extend to 6–11 months due to the need for thorough review by the five-judge panel," says Grok. For example, "In the Trump civil fraud case, oral arguments were held on September 26, 2024, and as of May 8, 2025, no decision has been issued (over 7 months), indicating it falls on the longer end due to its complexity and public significance."
When I asked Grok to research what other prominent civil cases from the last five years took the New York Appellate Division, First Department over seven months to decide, it was only able to produce two complex cases — People v. JUUL Labs, Inc. (2023) and Carlson v. Colangelo (2025) — that were decided in approximately three and a half months and seven months, respectively.
Related: Letitia James Lawyers Up, Attempts to Dismiss Serial Mortgage Issues as 'Mistakes' and 'Errors'
During the Sept. 26 arguments in this case, the judges reportedly seemed skeptical about the unprecedented size of the judgment against Trump, whether Big Tish's application of the law was appropriate, and whether she even had the authority to bring the case. And I am sure they are making extra, certain, super-duper quadruple-sure that their final decision in such a high-profile case will withstand the kind of scrutiny firestorm it's bound to run into.
I do not envy these five panelists, but this is their job. Time to quit dragging your feet and announce the decision already.
