A Manhattan judge has agreed to postpone former US President Donald Trump's sentencing in the high-profile hush money case until after the November presidential election. This decision grants Trump a significant reprieve as he navigates the aftermath of his criminal conviction and intensifies his campaign to retake the White House.
Judge Juan M. Merchan, who is also considering a defence request to overturn the verdict on immunity grounds, delayed Trump’s sentencing to 26 November—several weeks after the election, news agency AP reported. The sentencing was initially scheduled for 18 September, about seven weeks before Election Day.
In his written order, Merchan emphasised the need to "avoid any appearance—however unwarranted—that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate." He reiterated that "the Court is a fair, impartial, and apolitical institution", as quoted by AP.
Trump's legal team had vigorously sought the delay, arguing that sentencing the former president and current Republican nominee during his campaign would amount to election interference, according to AP's report. They petitioned both Judge Merchan and a federal court to intervene, asserting that the delay would provide Trump with ample time to consider next steps if Merchan rules against him.
The Manhattan district attorney's office, responsible for prosecuting the case, deferred to Merchan's decision and did not take a position on the defence's request for a delay.
The postponement follows a federal judge's rejection of Trump's request to have the U.S. District Court in Manhattan take over the case from Merchan’s state court. Trump’s lawyers had planned to seek the dismissal of the case on immunity grounds if their request had been successful. Trump is currently appealing the federal court ruling.
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Hush Money Case: Trump Convicted In May On 34 Counts Of Falsifying Business Records
Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels claims she and Trump had a sexual encounter a decade earlier after meeting at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.
According to AP, Prosecutors argued that the payment was part of a broader effort by Trump to prevent voters from hearing damaging stories during his first presidential campaign. Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, paid Daniels and was later reimbursed by Trump, with the payments falsely logged as legal expenses.
Trump has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that the stories were false, that the reimbursements were legitimate legal expenses, and that the case is a politically motivated "witch hunt" orchestrated by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.
Trump's legal team, including lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, argued that the short time between the scheduled immunity ruling on 16 September and the original sentencing date on 18 September was unfair. They noted that the proximity of these dates would leave Trump insufficient time to assess and pursue state and federal appellate options if Merchan rules against him, as per the report.
The US Supreme Court's recent ruling on presidential immunity, which restricts the prosecution of ex-presidents for official acts, has been a key element in Trump's defence. His lawyers contend that the jury in the hush money case should not have been allowed to hear evidence from former White House staffers about how Trump reacted to news coverage of the Daniels deal.
The delay in sentencing also allows Trump to continue appealing his conviction. However, he cannot proceed with the appeal until after the sentencing.
Trump, who is the first ex-president convicted of a crime, faces potential penalties ranging from probation to a fine or up to four years in prison.