NYC prosecutors in Donald Trump’s hush money case oppose impeachment, but are okay with pausing sentencing

NEW YORK — Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday they will oppose President-elect Trump’s attempt to dismiss his criminal conviction in New York, but they also told the judge they did not object to pausing the case.

The district attorney’s office has recommended that all remaining proceedings in the case, including the Nov. 26 sentencing, be postponed until after Trump leaves the White House in 2029.

“Given the need to balance conflicting constitutional interests, various non-removal options should be considered, such as postponing all remaining criminal cases until after the end of the Defendant’s upcoming presidential term, which may address concerns arising from the pendency of post-trial criminal proceedings during the presidency. In a letter to the judge, prosecutors wrote, he wrote.

“The public deeply respects the Office of the President, recognizes the demands and obligations of the presidency, and recognizes that the Defendant’s inauguration will raise unprecedented legal questions. We also deeply respect the fundamental role of the jury in our constitutional system.”

Judge Juan Merchan will have the final say on the next step in the case and has not yet made his decision.

“This is a complete and utter victory for President Trump and the American People who overwhelmingly elected him. The Manhattan District Attorney has acknowledged that this Witch Hunt cannot continue. The vigilante trial has now been discontinued and President Trump’s legal team is moving to conclude the case.” “This has been denied once and for all,” Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said.

Since July, Trump’s lawyers have been pushing to vacate the conviction and dismiss the case, arguing that prosecutors filled “glaring holes in their case” with evidence of official actions in which the Supreme Court recently struck down landmark limits. Presidential immunity decision.

Trump’s lawyers also argued for impeachment, citing the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, which encourages government officials to “take lawful steps to prevent or minimize disruptions” to the presidential transition process.

Prosecutors have given no public signal of impending sentencing since Trump’s election, although they have argued that the Supreme Court’s ruling that Trump was entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution for official actions he took while in office had no bearing on Trump’s conviction. .

Prosecutors requested additional time to advise the court on “appropriate steps forward” based on the impact of Trump’s victory.

“The public agrees these are unprecedented circumstances,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told the court last week.

Judge Merchan after joint request for additional time postponed his decision On how the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling affects the lawsuit Trump originally planned to release last week.

Trump was found guilty of all 34 felonies in May fraud in business records It concerns the payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to silence allegations that she had sexual intercourse with Trump in 2006 in order to increase his chances of being elected in the 2016 presidential election.

Conviction carries a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison, but first-time offenders will normally receive a lesser sentence.

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