Nick Penzenstadler

USA TODAY

A New York Supreme Court judge ruled Tuesday afternoon that a case against Donald Trump and his real estate mentorship program known as Trump University can go to trial.

The case is brought by Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and could finally see Trump himself in court if he’s called to testify.

Schneiderman first filed the fraud case in 2014 on behalf of students that enrolled in the program he says used the word “university” in a deceptive way.

Judge Cynthia Kern made the decision to allow the case to proceed Tuesday.

“I am very pleased the judge has indicated her intention to move as expeditiously as possible to trial, as thousands of Mr. Trump’s alleged victims have been waiting years for relief from his fraud,” Schneiderman said in a prepared statement Tuesday. “We believe that Mr. Trump and (university president Michael Sexton) will be essential witnesses at trial. As we will prove in court, Donald Trump and his sham for-profit college defrauded thousands of students out of millions of dollars.”

Schneiderman wants Trump and the organization to pay back the 5,000 students nationwide as much as $35,000 each they invested to “participate in live seminars and mentorship programs with the promise of learning Donald Trump’s real estate investing techniques.”

The AG says the university deceived students into thinking the school was a legally charted “university.” In 2010, after cease and deist letters from New York, the organization changed its name to Trump Entrepreneur Initiative and later in the year ceased its operations.

Trump has battled the legal claims publicly and in court. He launched the website 98percentapproval.com to boast of the positive appraisals provided by students.

In interviews and on the site, Trump says the university had a rating of A from the Better Business Bureau. Fact-checkers have since uncovered that the BBB gave ratings between A+ and D- based on several complaints from students.

Washington Post wants Trump lawsuit docs unsealed

The New York case is among two other cases alleging fraudulent practices by the university. Art Cohen v. Donald Trump is moving through federal court in California. Another case, Tarla Makaeff et al. v. Trump University alleges fraud in California, Florida and New York and could go to trial this year.

Nick Penzenstadler is based in Denver. Follow him on Twitter at @npenzenstadler.