Did Trump's Lawyers 'Forget To Check a Box' Requesting a Jury Trial?

On Oct. 2, 2023, former U.S. President Donald Trump appeared, in person, to witness the proceedings in a case brought by New York City Attorney General Letitia James against his business empire. James accused Trump's businesses and business associates of "persistent and repeated business fraud." The case, notably, is a bench trial in which a single judge, Justice Arthur F. Engoron, not only controls the proceedings but ultimately rules on the facts of the case as well. 

In a "makeshift" press conference held during a break in the first day's proceedings, Trump stated that "I think it's very unfair I don't have a jury." Legal experts and pundits immediately questioned the claim on the basis that, generally speaking, anyone in New York State is given the right to a trial by jury, as opposed to a bench trial.