A judge appeared sympathetic on Thursday to legal arguments that ex-Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cillia Flores should be allowed to use Venezuelan government money to fund their defence.
Maduro and Flores's attorneys asked the judge to dismiss the narco-terrorism case against the pair because the US has denied them use of the funds due to sanctions in place against the Latin American country.
Prosecutors argued Maduro "plundered" Venezuela's wealth and should not be able to use its money for legal fees.
The 92-year-old Judge Alvin Hellerstein however, noted that "the right to defence is paramount". He said he would not be dismissing the case over the dispute.
The judge said he would issue a ruling at a later time, including the next court date.
