A New York appeals court refused to delay Donald Trump's civil fraud trial scheduled for October 2 

Trump accused the trial judge of wrongly refusing to dismiss most of the case 

A five-judge panel from the Appellate Division denied Trump's motion to postpone the trial 

The panel also lifted a previous order by Justice David Friedman to put the trial on hold 

State court Justice Arthur Engoron found that Trump and his family business fraudulently overvalued assets to obtain better loan and insurance terms 

The lawsuit was filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James in September 2022, alleging "staggering fraud" in property valuation 

James seeks at least $250 million in penalties and bans against Trump and his sons running businesses in New York 

The case is unrelated to the four criminal indictments against Trump, including one for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election 

Trump maintains his innocence and portrays the litigation as politically motivated 

Despite legal challenges, Trump holds a strong lead in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race