Former President Donald Trump’s sentencing in his New York criminal case has been postponed until after the 2024 election, Judge Juan Merchan announced on Friday.
The delay is intended to avoid any appearance of influencing the outcome of the presidential race.
In a four-page letter, Merchan explained that Trump will be sentenced on November 26, if necessary, in response to a request from Trump’s legal team to postpone the sentencing.
Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to an adult film star alleging an affair with him.
However, sentencing has been delayed as Trump’s lawyers seek to overturn the conviction based on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity.
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Merchan noted the upcoming presidential election as a factor in his decision to delay the sentencing, stating that the postponement is to ensure the process does not appear to affect the election.
“Delaying the decision on the motion and sentencing, if necessary, will help dispel any notion that the Court’s actions are intended to benefit or disadvantage any political party or candidate,” Merchan wrote.
In addition to postponing the sentencing until November 26, Merchan will decide on Trump’s motion to vacate the verdict due to the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling on November 12.
The Supreme Court’s recent decision was described by Merchan as “historic and intervening.”
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung criticized the decision, calling it part of a “witch hunt” and arguing that the case should be dismissed based on the Supreme Court’s mandate.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s spokesperson responded that Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts by a unanimous jury, and the office is prepared for the new sentencing date.
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The sentencing delay is one of several postponements in Trump’s legal proceedings. Since his four indictments in 2023, including cases in New York, Florida, Washington, DC, and Georgia, Trump has faced numerous delays.
The only case that reached trial this year was the New York hush money case, which resulted in a guilty verdict in May. The upcoming sentencing in this case, with potential outcomes ranging from jail time to probation, will now occur after the election.
Merchan acknowledged the unique nature of Trump’s case and the significant role of the jury’s verdict. He emphasized that the timing of the sentencing will respect both the jury’s work and Trump’s constitutional rights.
This marks the second time Merchan has delayed sentencing, having previously postponed it from July at Trump’s lawyers’ request.
Trump’s legal team had also sought to move the state case to federal court, a request swiftly denied by a federal judge. They are appealing this decision and have asked Merchan to defer action on the presidential immunity issue until federal litigation concludes.
Prosecutors have argued that the conviction should stand and the evidence presented at trial was substantial.
The delay means that Trump’s conviction will remain less of a focal point in the presidential campaign’s final weeks and may not impact the election.
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