BREAKING: Trump says 80% of NY case is essentially over after judge concedes statute of limitations applies

Donald Trump had a different perspective when he emerged from a Manhattan courtroom at the end of day one of the civil trial against him, brought by Attorney General Letitia James. He said that Judge Arthur Engoron, who is the sole arbiter in the case as there's no jury on the case, had made a statement indicating that much of the case is no longer applicable due to a statute of limitations.

"The last five minutes was outstanding," he said, "because the judge essentially conceded that the statute of limitations that we won at the Court of Appeals is in effect. Therefore about 80% of the case is over."

"I was going to come out and say that, as you know, we're not entitled to a jury, which is pretty unusual in the United States of America. So we think it's very unfair that I don't have a jury, but the judge's last statement is very fair. And if I read it right, I'll let one of the lawyer's speak to it. But the way I interpret that, and the way everyone else in the room seems to interpret that is that the statute of limitations is a very real thing in this country. And that would be about 80% would be over," Trump said.

Trump's lawyer corroborated that statement.

That previous ruling that Trump was alluding to came from an appeals court, which "set the statute of limitations to transactions completed after  Feb. 6, 2016, and claims accrued after July 13, 2014. Ivanka Trump was dismissed as a defendant after this ruling because she stopped working for the Trump Organization in 2016," NTD reports.

The prosecution argued that later financial statements, that reference those from within that time period, have further extended the time frame. An accountant for The Trump Organization, Donald Bender, was called to the stand.

He discussed a letter from 2011, but Judge Engoron said that the prosecutors would have to find a way to tie that letter to something within the actual statute of limitations for it to be relevant to the court. 

His testimony will continue on the second day of the trial, but Trump's statements to press, along with his attorney's indicate that they contend that a statement from Engoron about the statute of limitations indicates that much of the prosecution's case will also fall outside that time frame.

Trump has said that the entire case against him is essentially election interference.