Judge to Decide Fate of Trump Conviction in Stormy Daniels Hush Money Case

A New York judge is expected to make a key decision Tuesday on whether to overturn President-elect Donald Trump’s conviction in a high-profile criminal case linked to secret money payments. This legal twist follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity that could significantly impact Trump’s legal standing.

The decision rests with Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw Trump’s trial earlier this year. The former president was convicted on charges of falsifying business records in connection with a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. The purpose of the payment was to silence allegations of an affair, which Trump denies. The prosecution argues that he was politically motivated to harm his campaign.

Trump, 78, could face up to four years in prison, but his defense team has argued that the Supreme Court’s latest ruling gives him immunity from prosecution for actions he took during his presidency. The defense argues that some evidence presented at trial, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosures and testimony from former White House aides, improperly influenced the jury’s verdict.

But prosecutors argue that the case focuses solely on personal conduct that occurred before Trump took office. “The evidence he claims was affected by the Supreme Court’s decision constitutes only a small fraction of the mountain of testimony and documentary evidence the jury considered,” they said. The prosecution emphasized that Trump’s compensation to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen for his payment to Daniels was incorrectly recorded as a legal expense by his company; They claimed that this move was intended to conceal the true purpose of the funds.

In the Supreme Court’s decision made shortly after Trump’s conviction, it was stated that former presidents cannot be tried for actions they took during their terms of office if they were related to official duties. Trump’s legal team took advantage of this ruling and argued that Trump’s conviction should be reconsidered in light of the court’s broad interpretation of presidential immunity.

Judge Merchan faces multiple options: He could vacate the conviction entirely, order a new trial, or allow the conviction to stand, potentially leading to sentencing later this month. Trump’s legal strategy focused on both overturning the decision and moving the case to federal court. So far, attempts to change jurisdiction of the case have been rejected, but appeals are ongoing.

The hush money case marks the first criminal conviction of a former president in U.S. history, making the legal battle even more tense as Trump prepares to return to the White House. His recent election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris has emboldened his legal team to push harder for impeachment or retrial; many legal analysts suggest his status as president-elect could influence legal considerations.

Complicating matters further, the Justice Department may drop separate lawsuits it filed against Trump following the 2020 election and over alleged mishandling of classified documents. Justice Department policy traditionally protects sitting presidents from prosecution, raising questions about the fate of those cases when Trump takes office in January.

“Many legal experts, including myself, agree that it is almost certain he will never see the inside of a prison cell,” commented Wayne Unger, Assistant Professor of Law at Quinnipiac University. Former prosecutor Neama Rahmani also had the same opinion and said, “Since Trump won, his criminal problems are gone.” Trump may also pardon himself on federal matters once he takes office, which could further complicate the legal situation.

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